The evolutionary adaptations oral bacteria have developed to coexist are fascinating. Another example is the known gum disease-causing species, P. gingivalis, can suppress our adaptive immunity [1].<p>This finding underscores the importance of taking preventative approaches to prevent attachment of biofilm producers (and why daily hygiene is so important), and finding more approaches to biofilm destabilization, like incorporating arginine into diets and possibly oral care products [2].<p>Source: founder of an oral microbiome testing company [3].<p>[1] <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5122233" rel="nofollow">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5122233</a><p>[2] <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0121835" rel="nofollow">https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal...</a><p>[3] <a href="https://www.bristlehealth.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.bristlehealth.com/</a>
Anecdotally, I’m having one hell of a time with my 3yo and 5yo’s teeth.<p>No juice. No soda. No bad snacks. Lots of dentist recommended foods and snacks. Full brushing and flossing regimen. Fluoride. Dentist applied special fluoride treatments. Trust me when I say we’re doing everything right.<p>And yet they’re 3 and 5 and have had so many cavities.<p>I asked my dad about it and he said my brothers and I had, frankly, poor dental hygiene, and not a single cavity until our teens.<p>I’m not saying it’s because of this organism or any specific thing. But I cannot shake the feeling that something significant has changed in the last 30 years.
Literally the Cavity Creeps from the old Crest commercials: <a href="https://theretronetwork.com/retro-commercials-crest-team-vs-the-cavity-creeps/" rel="nofollow">https://theretronetwork.com/retro-commercials-crest-team-vs-...</a>
Sounds like advanced symbiosis. I wonder if the movement is across a gradient or whether the super organism has a control unit that makes decisions. Are we a result of similar microorganisms?
My childhood explained.<p>Trying to do exactly this for my kids:<p>"Because these assemblages are found in saliva, targeting them early on could be a therapeutic strategy to prevent childhood tooth decay, says Koo. “If you block this binding or disrupt the assemblage before it arrives on the tooth and causes damage, that could be a preventive strategy.”"
Biofilms has been a noted phenomenon with microbiologists for at least a couple of decades, though I have to admit I haven't seen motility discussed as one of the functions before...
Years ago, I recall reading about a putative Cavity Vaccine which was a bateriophage which targeted the tiny fraction of species present in the mouth responsible for tooth decay. Supposedly, a one time inoculation would confer lifelong protection.<p>It has been decades and I have not heard anything more about this. Big Dentist keeping the research down or was there some "in mice" kind of gotcha which limited the treatment?
I am here to remind everyone that the single most important oral hygiene measure is to brush your teeth after each meal. That includes not eating anything between meals.<p>Then comes using toothpaste.<p>Then comes visiting your dentist regularly.<p>Them comes everything else, that includes fluorine..<p>If you aren't brushing your teeth when needed, the rest is almost wasted.