Stopping Tooth Decay in its Tracks

How nanotechnology and new advancements are helping to eliminate only the bacteria that cause tooth decay.

So you brush your teeth, floss, and once a day use mouthwash. That’s a pretty good regiment, but it could be improved. One of the biggest problems with mouthwash and other oral bacteria killers is that they eliminate all of the bacteria in your mouth, across the board. That sounds like a good thing, right? You want your mouth to have less bacteria. Well, it’s not so simple. Just as the gut has its own specific biome, your mouth does too. Over 700 types of bacteria live in the human mouth, and some of them are beneficial. A more nuanced approach in development can help you stop tooth decay before it happens by killing only the bacteria that cause it.

How it works

Consumption of sugar/carbohydrates is the main way that we accrue tooth decay. Most people know that, but here’s how it works: certain bacteria in your mouth digest that sugar. These bacteria live on your teeth. As they eat the sugar, they excrete a waste product, that waste product is highly acidic. The acidic waste then corrodes your teeth, first eating away at the enamel, then the dentin that composes your teeth. That’s how cavities, staining, and other tooth decay happens, in a nutshell.

Using a type of nanoparticle, made from cerium has been shown to prevent these bacteria from doing their thing. The nanoparticle can be applied directly to the teeth at a dentist’s office. This particular chemical formulation is different from existing ones in use however. It doesn’t effect the beneficial bacteria that help maintain a healthy mouth biome.  Hurting the beneficial bacteria may not seem that bad – your body produces it after all and can produce more. But, damaging the good stuff can have some pretty adverse effects. This cerium nanoparticle mainly damages harmful mouth bacteria, namely types of streptococcus. These form the bacteria that coat the teeth in a film and consume sugars. The film created by this microorganism can not be easily removed, and as they reproduce and digest sugar, creating their acidic byproduct which causes tooth damage.

These cerium nanoparticles are key because they prevent streptococcus mutans (the main offender in cavity formation) from continuing to build up. Essentially it prevents biofilm from further creating layers of plaque-creating tooth decaying microorganisms on your teeth.

The research still has a long way to go. In the future, it will no doubt be fine-tuned to remove existing biofilms of offending bacteria. However, in the present, if offers the serious benefit of removing harmful biofilm while leaving the beneficial bacteria in the mouth unaffected. This represents a huge benefit over traditional oral antibacterials because it doesn’t blanket kill/remove all bacteria it comes in contact with.

For more reading on this exciting development, head to the American Chemical Society’s website for this article.

Keep your smile bright in 2021

Here at Josey Lane Dentistry, we focus on the tried and true methods of good dental service. High quality treatment, experience and skilled staff, excellent customer service, and a family-friendly warm atmosphere. We also like to stay on top of the newest trends in our line of work as well. It helps us not only provide the best advice and service available to our customers, but also helps us keep abreast of a rapidly changing field. We have been faithfully serving the community in and around Carrollton Texas for the last 18 years. If you have dental needs, we can help, and our specialties are many. For preventative dentistry, we do x-rays, oral hygiene instruction and review, examinations, sealants, and more. As for restorative, we perform fillings, bridges, crowns, extractions, and much more services. We also focus on cosmetic surgery, like Invisalign and teeth whitening. If you have any dental needs, questions, or just want to schedule a cleaning, don’t hesitate to send us a message today. We look forward to making a big smile a big part of your day.