Scientists Say That Germs In the Gums May Indicate Ethnicity
Scientists in America have revealed a groundbreaking discovery; bacteria in the gums may now be used to identify ethnicity. Previously, it was thought that all humans had the same ‘healthy bacteria’ in their mouths, but new research suggests otherwise.
Scientists from Ohio State University tested more than 400 types of microbes and were able to identify different ethnicities; researchers found that analysing the microbes enabled them to differentiate between white, non-Hispanic black, Chinese and Latino people.
The breakthrough has been hailed as significant by health experts, as the research may enable scientists to work out why certain ethnicities are more susceptible to specific illnesses than others.
The research study also shows that universal dental care may not be effective for everyone.
Previously, it was believed that all ethnicities shared the same kinds of ‘healthy bacteria’ in the mouth; however, this paper suggests that just 2 per cent of microbes are shared by the four ethnicities.
The study also revealed that each ethnicity had its own specific hereditary microbes.
Thanks to the new information, doctors and dentists may now be able to tailor treatments for dental diseases more effectively to individuals based on their ethnicity.
Purnima Kumar, lead author and associate dentist at Ohio State University’s dental college, said that it is widely known that diet and oral hygiene affect the diversity of bacteria in the mouth, but now, it is also known that ethnicity can also play a role in determining which forms of bacteria are able to survive in the mouth.
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