Our gums are always in pain due to bacteria and cavity as this is the root cause of every dental disease.
In a latest research, scientists have found a way to protect these gums without killing the bacteria.
Researchers found that dental plaque bacteria use chemical signals to coordinate growth.
By blocking those signals, they were able to encourage healthy bacteria while reducing the germs associated with gum disease.
Oxygen plays a surprisingly important role in determining how these bacterial messages affect plaque growth.
So, they discovered a new way to affect the bacteria that live in our mouths: not by killing them, but by disrupting the way they interact with each other and spread infection.
About 700 bacterial species live there, and many exchange chemical messages through a process called quorum sensing.
These microbes communicate using signaling molecules called N-acyl homoserine lactones, or AHLs.
The research team discovered several important patterns of how oral bacteria interact:
Bacteria living in dental plaque produce AHL signals in aerobic environments such as above the gumline, and those signals can still affect bacteria in anaerobic environments below the gumline.
The researchers also found that oxygen plays a surprisingly important role in determining how these bacterial messages affect plaque growth.
The latest findings suggest that carefully selected enzymes may be able to reshape dental plaque communities and support a healthy oral microbiome.
Scientists are exploring whether it might be possible to influence the behavior of bacteria rather than trying to destroy them directly.
Removing AHL signals using special enzymes called lactonases has led to an increase in the population of bacteria associated with good oral health.
Bacteria are constantly evolving to survive but the major result is that many harmful microorganisms are becoming resistant to antibiotics and disinfectants, posing serious challenges to medical and public health.
However, scientists point out that not all bacteria are dangerous. In fact, many are essential to keep the human body healthy.
This new discovery suggests that these insights could help researchers design more targeted approaches to controlling gum disease and maintaining a healthy balance of microbes.
Additionally, researchers believe this strategy could eventually be expanded beyond oral health. An imbalance in the microbiome known as ‘dysbiosis’ is linked to many diseases throughout the body, including some cancers.
Specifically, the research materials were provided by the University of Minnesota, while funding for the study was provided by the National Institutes of Health.
