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breakthrough in research on dental plaque

Professors at the University of Groningen (Netherlands) have deciphered the structure and operating mechanism of the enzyme that is responsible glucansucrasa that dental plaque adheres to teeth. This finding stimulated the search for substances that inhibit the enzyme. Suffice to add the substance to toothpaste or even a sweet tooth could be a thing of the past. The results of this research have been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) of the U.S..

Researchers at the University Groningen glucansucrasa analyzed the bacteria Lactobacillus reuteri lactic acid, which is present in the oral cavity and human digestive tract. The bacteria use the enzyme glucansucrasa to convert sugar in food into long chains of sugar and use tacky glue to stick the tooth enamel. The main cause of dental caries, Streptococcus mutans, also uses this enzyme. Once they adhere to tooth enamel, these bacteria ferment sugars and free acids that dissolve the calcium in teeth, in this way develop cavities.

Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/210292.php