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Tag: Mouth

  • Microbiologists Explain How Your Mouth Reacts to Sugar Intake

    Microbiologists Explain How Your Mouth Reacts to Sugar Intake

    From Halloween candy to Thanksgiving pies and holiday cookies, the end of the year is filled with chances to indulge in sugar.
    Image Credits: (Deagreez/Getty)

    From Halloween candy to Thanksgiving pies and holiday cookies, the end of the year is filled with chances to indulge in sugar.

    But what actually happens in your mouth during the first minutes and hours after eating those treats?

    While most people know that excessive sugar can lead to cavities—or tooth damage—you may be less aware that bacteria immediately start feeding on those sugars to form a sticky layer called plaque on your teeth as soon as you take that first bite.

    We are a team of microbiologists who research how oral bacteria lead to tooth decay. Here’s what occurs in your mouth the instant sugar enters—and how you can safeguard your teeth.

    A Drop In pH

    Within seconds of taking your first bite or sip of something sweet, the bacteria living in your mouth begin feeding on those sugars to grow and reproduce. As they convert sugar into energy, they generate significant amounts of acid.

    Consequently, within just a minute or two of consuming sugary foods or drinks, your mouth’s acidity rises to levels capable of dissolving enamel—the mineral layer that covers and protects your teeth.

    Image credits: Enamel makes up the surface of the tooth. (Ali Damouh/Science Photo Library/Getty Images)

    Fortunately, saliva helps protect your teeth before these acids can begin eroding their surface. It rinses away leftover sugars and neutralizes the acids in your mouth.

    Your mouth also hosts other bacteria that compete with cavity-causing microbes for nutrients and space, keeping them in check and bringing acidity back to safe levels for your teeth.

    However, regularly consuming sugary foods and drinks can give harmful bacteria such a boost that neither saliva nor beneficial bacteria can counteract.

    An Attack on Tooth Enamel

    Cavity-causing bacteria also feed on sugars to create a sticky coating called a biofilm, which clings to the teeth like a protective fortress. Biofilms are difficult to remove without physical action, such as regular brushing or professional dental cleaning.

    Microbes form vast communities called biofilms.

    Additionally, biofilms create a physical barrier that limits what can pass through, preventing saliva from effectively neutralizing acid. To make matters worse, cavity-causing bacteria thrive in these acidic conditions, while the beneficial bacteria that combat them cannot survive.

    Within these protective biofilms, cavity-causing bacteria continue to multiply, maintaining high acidity in the mouth and causing further mineral loss from the teeth until a cavity becomes noticeable or causes pain.

    Ways to Safeguard Your Teeth from Sugar

    Before enjoying your next sweet treat, there are several steps you can take to keep cavity-causing bacteria under control and protect your teeth.

    Start by limiting the amount of sugar you consume and try to eat sugary foods or drinks with a meal. The extra saliva produced during eating helps rinse away sugars and neutralize acids in your mouth.

    Also, avoid frequent snacking on sweets or sugary beverages, especially those containing table sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. Constant exposure to sugar keeps your mouth more acidic for longer periods.

    Finally, brush your teeth regularly, particularly after meals, to remove as much plaque as possible, and floss daily to reach areas your toothbrush can’t access.

    Read the original article on: Sciencealert

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  • Tooth Sensitivity Might One Day be Treated Using Tiny Robots Inside your Mouth

    Tooth Sensitivity Might One Day be Treated Using Tiny Robots Inside your Mouth

    A microscope image of compromised dentin tubules that have been protectively plugged by the CalBots
    Shanmukh Peddi, Debayan Dasgupta

    Dealing with hypersensitive teeth can be a real nuisance, causing pain when eating or drinking anything hot, cold, sweet, or acidic. Researchers are now developing tiny “robots” that actively seal the microscopic channels in teeth, offering lasting relief from sensitivity.

    Building on earlier work, CeNSE scientists are developing “CalBots”—400-nanometer magnetic nanoparticles infused with a calcium-silicate bioceramic.

    Guided by magnets, CalBots navigate dentin tubules to reach nerve endings deep within the tooth

    Researchers apply CalBots to the tooth surface and guide them into tiny fluid-filled channels—called tubules—using an external magnetic field. These tubules run through the dentin layer of the tooth and connect directly to nerve endings in the pulp.

    Under normal conditions, the tooth’s enamel seals these tubules, preventing contact with substances in the mouth. But when enamel wears away, hot, cold, sweet, or acidic foods can enter the tubules, causing fluid movement that stimulates nerve endings and results in pain.

    While desensitizing toothpastes can offer temporary relief, CalBots aim for a lasting solution. The bioceramic forms a cement-like barrier 300–500 micrometers deep, mimicking enamel and blocking irritants.

    Initial tests on extracted human teeth and mice show CalBots effectively seal tubules and reduce tooth sensitivity within minutes

    The researchers first tested this approach on human teeth extracted for medical reasons. In just 20 minutes, CalBots formed stable plugs in tooth tubules. Treated mice with tooth sensitivity began drinking cold water again, showing promising results.

    “This is a powerful example of the potential of nanorobotics and the major role they could play in the future of healthcare,” says Prof. Ambarish Ghosh of CeNSE, a corresponding author of the study. “We’re looking forward to advancing this technology toward clinical application.”

    The CalBot technology is being brought to market by Theranautilus, a spinoff company, and the research has been detailed in a recent publication in the journal Advanced Science.

    Read the original article on: New Atlas

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  • Study Finds Chewing Gum Releases Hundreds of Microplastics in Your Mouth

    Study Finds Chewing Gum Releases Hundreds of Microplastics in Your Mouth

    (pixelshot/Canva)

    Chewing gum releases hundreds of plastic fragments into the mouth, researchers found, adding to concerns about microplastic exposure.

    A study analyzed saliva after chewing various gum brands, revealing each gram released around 100 microplastic fragments—some over 600. Frequent chewers could ingest up to 30,000 microplastics annually.

    However, lead researcher Sanjay Mohanty emphasized that chewing gum is a minor source compared to bottled water, which contains around 240,000 microplastics per liter.

    Synthetic and Natural Gum Both Contain Microplastics

    Most supermarket gum, known as synthetic gum, contains petroleum-based polymers to create its chewy texture. However, packaging does not explicitly list plastics as ingredients, instead labeling them as “gum-based.”

    “Nobody will tell you the exact ingredients,” Mohanty said.

    The researchers tested five brands of synthetic gum and five natural gum brands, which use plant-based polymers like tree sap. Surprisingly, microplastics were abundant in both types, Lowe told AFP.

    David Jones, a researcher at the UK’s University of Portsmouth who was not involved in the study, found it surprising that certain plastics not typically found in gum appeared in the samples. He suggested they might have come from contamination in the lab. However, he agreed that the study’s overall findings were expected.

    “People tend to be shocked when they learn that chewing gum contains the same materials found in car tires, plastic bags, and bottles,” Jones said.

    Minimal Health Risks, But Environmental Concerns Remain

    Oliver Jones, a chemistry professor at RMIT University in Australia, reassured that swallowing a small amount of microplastics is unlikely to cause harm, as they would likely pass through the body without impact. “I don’t think you have to stop chewing gum just yet,” he said.

    Lowe, however, pointed to another issue—plastic pollution. Discarded gum, especially when spat onto sidewalks, contributes to environmental waste.

    Meanwhile, the National Confectioners Association, which represents chewing gum manufacturers in the U.S., downplayed concerns, stating that “there is no cause for alarm” and that gum has been safely consumed for over a century. The organization also emphasized that all ingredients are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

    Read Original Article: Science Alert

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