New Bacteria-Fighting Sweets Could Fight Tooth Decay

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Most of the time, dentists warn against eating sweets because they contribute to cavities; however, a new sweet, which claims to fight off bacteria, is set to be launched by a German firm.

The sweets, which have been developed by Organobalance GMBH, contain friendly probiotic bacteria, which prevent harmful bacteria, including streptococcus mutans, from clinging to the teeth; instead, the sweets cause the harmful bacteria to be swallowed and then excreted from the body. The bacterium present in the sweets is lactobillus paracasei.

When you suck on the sweet, the probiotic bacteria are released into the mouth and they then bind with the harmful bacteria to stop them from clinging onto the gum line and the enamel surfaces of the teeth.

The results of trials of the sweet, which were recently published in the journal, Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins, revealed that sucking on the sweets had a significant impact on bacteria levels in the mouth. Seventy five per cent of the 60 participants experienced significantly lower levels of strepotococcus mutans bacteria after eating just one sweet, with results continuing to improve throughout the duration of the study.

Tooth decay is one of the most common preventable childhood illnesses, with figures suggesting that a quarter of five year olds in England have signs of decay.

Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, said that the findings of the study supported the notion that probiotics can be beneficial for oral health.

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