Study Finds that Fluoride Reduces Adhesion of Bacteria on Teeth

Despite more than fifty years of scientific research, controversy still exists over exactly how fluoride compounds reduce the risk of tooth decay. New evidence from German researchers suggests that fluoride helps to reduce the adhesion of bacteria to teeth. The study is published in the American Chemical Society (ACS) journal Langumir [1]. The cause of tooth decay and cavities Research in the late 1940s and early 1950s established that fluoride helps to harden tooth enamel, which protects teeth from the acid produced by decay-causing bacteria [2-4]. Subsequent studies showed that fluoride enhances the tooth remineralization process [5-6]. Tooth decay and cavities are caused by tooth demineralization, a process where an acidic environment draws out some of the mineral content from a tooth’s calcium-hardened tissues. The acids that cause demineralization are produced by specific types of bacteria — primarily Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus — that live within dental plaque, the pale yellow biofilm that develops naturally on the teeth. Fluoride enhances tooth remineralization (think of remineralization as tooth decay in reverse). Fluoride absorbs onto tooth surfaces where demineralization, or tooth decay, has occurred. The presence of fluoride attracts other minerals, increasing the rate of remineralization. In fact, the new tooth mineral created from remineralization is actually harder than the tooth was to begin with. Another mechanism for fluoride a...
Source: Highlight HEALTH - Category: Medical Scientists Authors: Source Type: blogs