Mouth paint.Say adios to holes in your teeth. Scientists at Guy's Hospital Guy's Hospital is a large NHS hospital in the borough of Southwark in south east London. It is administratively a part of Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. in London, England, have designed a vaccine that stops cavities in their tracks. And best of all, you won't need a shot. Cavities form when bacteria cling to tooth surfaces and turn food sugar into lactic acid lactic acid, CH3CHOHCO2H, a colorless liquid organic acid. It is miscible with water or ethanol. Lactic acid is a fermentation product of lactose (milk sugar); it is present in sour milk, koumiss, leban, yogurt, and cottage cheese. . The acid eats away tooth enamel (the tooth's hard outer layer) and leaves a hole. But dentists plan to paint your teeth with a tasteless, colorless vaccine that combats tooth decay Tooth Decay Definition Tooth decay, which is also called dental cavities or dental caries, is the destruction of the outer surface (enamel) of a tooth. . Scientists made the antibody (substance that fights infections) in the vaccine from tobacco plants. The antibody prevents Streptococcus mutans Streptococcus mu·tans n. A species of Streptococcus associated with the production of dental caries. , bacteria that cause 95 percent of tooth decay, from sticking to teeth. The vaccine, produced by Planet Biotechnology in California, must undergo more clinical trials before it can be approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Once it's on the market, getting "mouth paint" once a year could keep you cavity-free for life! |
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