A Mouthwash That Fights Tooth Decay for Good

For less than 150 USD and a single five-minute treatment, a genetically modified mouthwash could free you from tooth decay.

A mouthwash that fights tooth decay for good

For less than 150 USD and a single five-minute treatment, a genetically modified mouthwash could free you from tooth decay. Spray it into your mouth just once and you are protected for life.

Professor Jeffrey Hillman of the University of Florida (USA) made the announcement at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, held in Boston last week.

The real cause of tooth decay is not the sugar in food but a bacterium called Streptococcus mutans. It breaks sugar down into lactic acid, and that acid damages the teeth.

Professor Hillman used genetic modification to create a strain of Streptococcus mutans that cannot produce lactic acid and therefore does not cause tooth decay. Tests on rats showed that, once introduced into the mouth, the genetically modified bacteria completely replaced the disease-causing bacteria, and the rats did not get cavities even on a high-sugar diet. What's more, the sugar even helped the beneficial bacteria cover the surface of the teeth.

Professor Hillman said the work had been going on for 25 years, and that he is confident the genetically modified bacteria are very safe for human health. Clinical trials are due to start in the US and the UK at the end of the year.

Thu Thủy (from the BBC)