A New Answer for Oral Health

Probiotics to the Rescue

Despite the perpetual advent of a new type of toothbrush – from flossing toothbrushes, to toothbrushes angled just-so, to disposable “spin” brushes – adults and children alike continue to have oral health issues.

In fact, according to the American Dental Association , about 70 percent of American adults have some form of periodontal (gum) disease, leaving the door wide open for many other diseases, including diabetes, kidney failure and heart disease.

Obviously the invention of hundreds of different kind of toothbrushes, mouthwashes that claim to wipe out 99.9% of bacteria, whitening tooth flosses, and toothpastes that claim to do everything from protect teeth for hours after brushing to reducing tooth sensitivity, Americans’ teeth are just not getting any healthier.

What’s the Problem with Americans’ Teeth?

It seems one of the biggest problems is that many Americans simply aren’t flossing, or are flossing occasionally and calling it good enough. In fact, only about 10 percent of Americans floss daily. Passing on the floss means that major portions of the teeth and gums aren’t getting cleaned, regardless of how often we brush. Flossing cleans about 30 percent of the tooth’s surfaces.

Clean Teeth is About More Than Removing Food Particles

Most of us think of tooth brushing as a means to remove food and plaque from our tooth surfaces. The fact is, food and plaque alone don’t cause tooth decay or periodontal disease. These conditions are caused by harmful bacteria that lives in the plaque on tooth surfaces and below the gum line.

Removing leftover food particles from these areas certainly helps, as the bacteria thrives on leftover bits of food trapped in the plaque and between teeth. But without the harmful bacteria known as S. mutans, there would be far less of a problem with food trapped on and between teeth.

Just as certain beneficial bacteria – called probiotics – are used to balance bacteria in the gut to improve gut health, dental researchers have discovered that certain probiotics are highly effective at bringing levels of S. mutans into a range where they cannot cause harm.

Oral probiotics are a promising new field of research when it comes to improving the oral health of Americans.