Seaweed Bacteria May Help Prevent Tooth Decay

Adding enzymes from seaweed microbes to toothpaste and mouthwash may offer protection against tooth decay, reveals a study.

Researchers at the Newcastle University, UK had been studying Bacillus licheniformis to see if it could clean ships' hulls.

Tooth Decay - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment & Prevention
Tooth decay in toddlers, children and adults, also called dental caries, is a bacterial infection causing demineralization and destruction of the hard tissues of the teeth.

But they now believe that it could protect the areas between teeth where plaque can gather despite brushing.

Their lab tests suggested that the microbe's enzyme cuts through plaque, stripping it of bacteria that cause tooth decay.

"Plaque on your teeth is made up of bacteria which join together to colonise an area in a bid to push out any potential competitors," the BBC quoted Dr Nick Jakubovics, of the university's school of dental sciences, as saying.

Toothache | Dental pain |Tooth pain
A toothache is a pain in or around a tooth that occurs due to various reasons that irritate the nerve supplied to tooth. Though Toothache is not life-threatening, it can get worse if left untreated.

"Traditional toothpastes work by scrubbing off the plaque containing the bacteria - but that's not always effective - which is why people who religiously clean their teeth can still develop cavities.

"We found this enzyme can remove some of these undesirable bacteria from plaque," he said.

Root Canal Treatment | Endodontic therapy
Root canal treatment is to save a badly infected tooth. The dentist call it endodontic therapy and they deep clean the infected root of the tooth.

The plaque is made up of lots of different decaying bacteria.

When bacterial cells die, the DNA inside them leaks out and makes a biofilm that then sticks to the teeth.

Tooth Discoloration Introduction
Tooth discoloration or staining is caused commonly due to smoking, some medicines and poor dental hygiene.

Instead of removing the plaque entirely, Dr Jakubovics believed that the treatment could strip away the harmful bacteria, like Streptococcus mutans, that cause tooth decay.

"Ultimately we hope to harness this power into a paste, mouthwash or denture-cleaning solution," he added.

Jakubovics said that more studies are needed to show that the technique works and is safe before any products could be brought to market.

The research has been funded by Society for Applied Microbiology along with the Newcastle Healthcare Charity.

Source-ANI