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A new mouthwash may eradicate tooth decay.
The mouthwash, which was created by a microbiologist from the UCLA School of Dentistry, targets Streptococcus mutans. That type of bacteria is one of the main causes for tooth decay and cavities.
A recent study showed that 12 subjects had a mouth without any sign of S. mutans bacteria after just one rinse with this mouthwash. This study appears in the recent edition of Caries Research.
Dental caries is one of the most common and expensive diseases in the United States. Billions of dollars are spent each year on treatment for the problem.
This new mouthwash was developed by Wenyuan Shi, chair of the biology section at the UCLA School of Dentistry. It took about a decade to create and used a STAMP called C16G2 to be effective. The STAMP C16G2 can get rid of harmful bacteria and do so for long periods of time.
The next step for the product to be put into practice is approval from the Food and Drug Administration. It’s conceivable it could be the first drug to prevent caries since fluoride was introduced about 60 years ago.
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