Genetically engineered bacteria to prevent cavities anyone?

[Pb]

Fascinating...

Streptococcus mutans in your mouth eats sugar and produces lactic acid, causing tooth decay.  Someone created a genetically engineered version that uses a different metabolic pathway to produce ethanol (!) instead... They also gave it the ability to create an antibiotic, to outcompete the wild type stain.  They also altered the genome to make it less likely to spread these genes via gene transfer, to other bacteria.

So you, scrub your mouth out really well, and inoculate yourself with the new strain... and no tooth decay!  maybe?

If this actually works, we could quit fluoridating the water which would likely be a plus.

https://www.lanternbioworks.com/

FAQ:
https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/defying-cavity-lantern-bioworks-faq?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=89120&post_id=139373544&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=890bd&utm_medium=email

[MechAg94]

I certainly hope they do a lot of testing.  Sounds promising. 

Of course, would that affect recovering alcoholics?

[Pb]

Supposedly the amount of ethanol produced is minimal... some bacteria naturally do this as well in the body.

I have to admit, I have been more leary of water flouridation and its possible effect on IQ. 

[MillCreek]

A few years back, I gave a risk lecture at the local county dental society.  The person lecturing before me was talking about the increased incidence of dental caries among children due to more people living in the rural areas of the county and on a well.  Thus, they were not getting fluoride in their drinking water.  The lecturer was encouraging the dentists to ask about the water supply at the home and provide supplemental fluoride as needed.

[T.O.M.]

Ethanol from bacteria in the mouth...gotta look to see if this has ever been raised as a defense for DUI breath tests.

[Brad Johnson]

How about a meat laser?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv3DFTSs6NQ

Brad

[BobR]

Dentists will never let this happen. You would think that dentistry would be one of those dwindling professions as advances are made. Their whole reason for being is to help prevent caries and other diseases of the mouth that could be prevented. This would really put some of them out of business and we will not be having any of that!!!

bob

[K Frame]

COVID 19 vaccine... NO WAY! ARE YOU NUTS? I'LL NEVER LET THAT ANYWHERE NEAR ME!

Bioengineered bacteria to "prevent" cavities... HELL YEAH! BRUSHING MY TEETH IS SUCH A WASTE OF TIME! WHERE DO I SIGN UP?

[WLJ]

Ethanol from bacteria in the mouth...gotta look to see if this has ever been raised as a defense for DUI breath tests.

Yeah, I'm wondering how this would effect readings on breathalyzers