A new pill to keep the dentist away is in the works. Researchers have discovered a new strain of bacteria that could pave the way to cavity-preventing supplements.
Researchers have named the previously unidentified strain Streptococcus A12. Study results revealed that Streptococcus A12 helps keep bad bacteria in check by neutralizing acid in the mouth.
Previous studies reveal that cavities are more likely to occur when the mouth becomes too acidic. Streptococcus A12 works by killing and mitigating the effects of a particularly harmful kind of streptococcal bacteria called Streptococcus mutans. The Streptococcus mutans harms the oral cavity by turning sugar into lactic acid, which raises the pH in the mouth and therefore cavity risk.
Researchers Robert Burne, associate dean for research and chair of the UF College of Dentistry's department of oral biology, and Dr. Marcelle Nascimento, an associate professor in the UF College of Dentistry's department of restorative dental sciences, and their team found that besides killing Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus A12 also helps bring down oral pH by metabolizing arginine in the mouth.
"If A12 doesn't kill Streptococcus mutans, A12 interferes with Streptococcus mutans' ability to carry out its normal processes that it needs to cause disease," Burne said in a news release. "If you grow them together, Streptococcus mutans does not grow very well or make biofilms, also known as dental plaque, properly."
Previous studies revealed that adults and children with few or no cavities were better at breaking down arginine than those with more cavities. Researchers explained arginine is one of the two main compounds that are broken down into ammonia to help neutralize acid in the mouth.
"Like a probiotic approach to the gut to promote health, what if a probiotic formulation could be developed from natural beneficial bacteria from humans who had a very high capacity to break down arginine?" Burne said in a news release.
"You would implant this probiotic in a healthy child or adult who might be at risk for developing cavities. However many times you have to do that -- once in a lifetime or once a week, the idea is that you could prevent a decline in oral health by populating the patient with natural beneficial organisms," Burne added.
The findings are published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
