Enzymatic Plaque Inhibitor Could Put an End to Cavities
Humans have invented all kinds of high-tech fixes to deal with plaque in the heart, but when it comes to battling tooth decay, a manual scrubbing with a bristle-brush is still our primary line of defense. But Dutch researchers may have just bested the toothbrush by characterizing and deciphering the structure of the enzyme responsible for plaque sticking to teeth. By adding an inhibitor to toothpaste or even to the food we eat, tooth decay and cavities could soon become a rarity. Glucansucrase, the enzyme that allows bacteria to convert sugars into long, glue-like sugar chains and stick themselves to our teeth, is a close evolutionary cousin to amylase enzymes found in our saliva. And because we need amylase to break down starches, its previously been impossible to exterminate the glucansucrase in our mouths because doing so would also neutralize our amylase. Related ArticlesBad Tooth? Grow AnotherNew Hormone Gel Could Regenerate Teeth...