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Uncategorized Monday, July 9th 2012 at 5:40 pm

Keep 32 Molecule Kills Cavity-Causing Bacteria, Could Make The World A Better Place

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Researchers Jose Cordova of Yale University and Erich Astudillo of Chile’s Universidad de Santiago discovered a molecule they call Keep 32 that kills the bacteria responsible for all the trauma you suffered as a child, lying down blinded by the light as a masked man poked bits of metal in your mouth. Sometimes you don’t feel anything. Sometimes you feel funny.

We all know how it works: Teeth + candy – brushing = cavities. The bacteria Streptococcus mutans metabolizes the sugar, turning it into lactic acid that slowly but surely dissolves the tooth enamel. The Keep 32 molecule kills this bacteria, thus helping you keep all 32 of your teeth in perfect shape. So, how is this better than fluoride? Well, for one, fluoride works by strengthening the tooth enamel, not killing the bacteria – it treats the symptoms and not the cause. Keep 32 goes directly to the cause of your grief.

The patent-pending molecule appears to be quite versatile, and can reportedly be added into mouthwash, toothpaste, gum, candy and even proper food. Cordova and Astudillo are currently in talks to obtain funding for their trials, and if they succeed, we can expect dentally beneficial candy in 18 months. Considering how much money this can potentially make some people, I’m sure there won’t be a problem.

But for now, I shall keep my joy in check, because it will all come to naught if the Keep 32 candy don’t taste like candy.

(via Geek.com)

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  • http://www.facebook.com/theastrodude Smetaniuc Felix Dominic

    It sure can make some people money, but at the same time it kicks a lot of dentists in the balls… no cavities = no tooth decay = no need for dentistry…well, except for the cases where people break their teeth while skateboarding or snowboarding or what else…this and Periodontitis…

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_2P635XFPF22HQMUBYX5D3HZCHU Dr. House

    Filling cavities is only one thing they do… you must be European.

  • Potatosteamer

    People smoke a lot still.

    They’ll be fine, because you’ll still have to go for checkups. And you’re assuming EVERYONE BRUSHES THREE TIMES A DAY, which we know doesn’t happen.

  • Ncbateman

    ooo i cant wait to have the resistant super strain evolve in my mouth and eat my damn head. 

  • Doug Shephe

    Anyone else think that destroying our natural flora in the mouth is a bad idea?

  • Melissa

    Yes, let’s not create a product that will do good and be beneficial to humanity (there are many health problems with the rest of the body that can be created by poor dental health), just because some people might go out of business.

    A more severe scenario, but that’s like saying we shouldn’t produce a cure for cancer because then all of the chemotherapy providers would go out of business. It’s an idiotic reason.

    And as other people mentioned, you’re supposed to go to the dentist 2x per year. This won’t prevent the standard maintenance/checkups with teeth, only prevent cavities. It’s an addition to the preventative care we already have.

  • Guest

    In all seriousness, what the world needs is another ubiquitous antibiotic like Triclosan to help antibiotic-resistant bacteria arise as quickly as possible.

  • David

    But if we invent cars what will happen to the horse breeders and buggy makers!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Kevin-Rhodes/576994322 Kevin Rhodes

    I have no love for dentists. Screw ‘em. They charge obscene money for their services.

  • Bob

    Putting dentists out of business is a legit concern. They have a huge lobby that’s going to try and get the FDA to not approve this.

  • Anonymous

     That would also assume that this product works perfectly for everyone in every situation, which of course it won’t.  Also, this does nothing to eliminate cracks, abscesses, or other “non-bacterial caries” causes.  It also doesn’t eliminate the regular twice yearly cleaning.  So I wouldn’t be too worried about dentists going out of business.

  • stevenotkyle

    I sincerely doubt dental lobbying will work against this.  Our missions statement is to improve your oral health.  Thats like accusing physicians of lobbying against life saving drugs.  

    -a dentist

  • Kylenotsteve

    I like what NcBateman said. These bad boys are very resistant. Tooth decay ain’t going anywhere.

  • Anonymous

    Unfortunately if mega-corporations with their lawyers and the current patent system were involved in the horse market, they probably would have found a way to put cars on the backburner till they could profit from it…lobbying massive safety regulations till they produced their own car or forced the car makers to sell out to them.

  • stevenotkyle

    kevin rhodes – look at the overhead of a dental practice and reimbursement schedules from the insurance companies we have let run wild.  Then come up with a business plan for dentists that doesnt include going out of business as they pay their 500k practice loan and 300k student loans.  Trust me – most dentists would love to charge you way less.  We agree dental care is entirely too expensive in the usa. 

    -a dentist

  • Dennisthousand

    I am a dentist and I do not know of any present or future campaign by the ADA to stop this, if it is safe and proven effective.  It is the ADA that has been fundamental in the success of fluoride in water and toothpaste, sealants, and all prevention since inception.  Quit watching your dogmatic documentaries. There is plenty of oral infection and reconstruction to last decades. If there comes a time when dentist are not needed, tremendous.  We have won the fight against dental decay! 

  • Anonymous

    Tar tar and the recession are killing my teeth, lost dental insurance now I have to get teeth scraped on the black market. 

  • http://sportsbooksforbabies.com/ Ken Ashe

    I wouldn’t worry about it. Flossing prevents a lot of cavities, yet not everyone flosses.

  • Chwergy

    ‘Kick a lot of dentists in the balls’ isn’t an argument against keep 32. Who is the idiot now? At the same time, who is to say we don’t need those little sugar bending bacteria in our mouths? Keep 32 could cause a whole range of health risks.

  • Sodipodium

    It might be an ‘idiotic’ reason, but that what drives business. Think of the hundreds of patents that get bought up from ‘threatened’ companies and destroyed so nobody can make that product. I see this as a matter of time before P&G begin looking to invest and ‘destroy’ the feasibility of this new product with flawed testing and other tricks.

    Don’t believe me? The FDA has an incredibly strong hand in politics because politicians make millions by preventing these nearly ‘magic bullets’ from coming into the market.

  • Anraiki

    Except who is going to remove our Wisdom Teeth? Keep our gums in check? Align them whites with braces?

    They will be around.

  • Heather RDH

    Sounds like xylitol.  People still aren’t going to do it.  Flossing is a major factor in preventing Periodontal Disease, but who honestly flosses daily!? 

  • http://twitter.com/Monk3yBaby Wilson

    I’ll place my bet that either 1) this creates superbacteria because it only killed off the weak bacteria or 2) it causes cancer

  • Guest

    My question is, what then will break down the sugar? I’m pretty sure humans need that bacteria somehow. Why else would it be there? I’m assuming there’s not going to be any effort to reduce sugar intake, because this molecule will make people think it’s unnecessary.

  • Nancy

    I think they are allready keeping things like “cures” for other diseases from getting approved for that very reason. GREED It’s such an ugly part of human nature!

  • t$

    childrens cavities really are a minority of the work covered by dentists.  Periodontal disease is completely independent of S. mutans.  Orthodontics is independent of S. mutans.  Oral cancer is independent of S. mutans. Cosmetic dentistry – which seems to be most people’s focus these days – ie how white can they make their teeth – is independent of S. mutans.  Non-periodontitis soft tissue problems can be caused by a wide array of virii/bacteria/fungii.

    @bb2c4e2a3377910a54b31407049206aa:disqus – no one is saying not to create a cure for this.  You are just trolling.

    The big concern is going to be in the absence of S. mutans, will another, possibly more virulent bacteria that may have been suppressed by S.mutans step in to fill the void?  Or will S. mutans evolve and adapt like many other bacteria and develop immunity?  The current issue facing the medical profession in regards to bacterial infection is the inappropriate use of antibiotics – once bacteria evolve and are no longer vulnerable to an antibiotic, that antibiotic is no longer of any use, and unless there is another drug with a different molecular structure but the same effect in the arsenal, society is screwed.  Assuming that Keep 32 is going to be like your standard antibiotics (eg Amoxicillin, Clindamycin, Cephalexin, etc etc), it would probably be stupid to incorporate low doses into everyday products for the reason that immunity would develop rendering it useless in a pretty short period – it would be better reserved as a treatment for people with rampant decay who are non-responsive to oral hygiene instruction – and this would need to be monitored by dental professionals so as to ensure the drug is used in a way to mitigate the risk of the drug becoming obsolete due to S. mutans developing immunity.

    Finally, S. mutans is not the only bacteria causing cavities.  The flora of the oral cavity is extensive, and there are a number of other facultive and obligate anaerobes that also facilitate the destruction of tooth structure.

    So if some of you idiots think that the evil dentist who is only out there to take your money are going to be lobbying against something like this, go back to smoking whatever it is you are smoking, and come see us in 6months to clean the stains off your teeth/check your mouth for oral cancer/periodontal disease :)

  • Sjoseph

     I am supposed to see a Periodontitis soon to treat my gum disease. Am wondering if this Keep 32 kills bacteria in the gums as well and if I should hold on visiting the Perio whatever.
    Could someone of knowledge give me some advice. Please.

    sjoseph@bigfoot.com 

  • Abc

    it’s the way of the world…everything has good and bad points, but for some reason i wouldn’t feel sorry for the mansion living, Porsche driving dentists that work a few hours a week and have (typically cute young curvacious females in short skirts) “dental hygenists” do most of their work at 7 bucks an hour while they bill at 60 kind of thing…awww… 

  • Abc

    not only that, if you ask your dentist about the safety of the mercury or lead in the fillings he will use (if you don’t request otherwise) he will say “no problem” and about the safety of the X-rays that they pretty much force on your once or twice a year, he will say “no problem” to that…  mercury and/or lead is one of the more poisonous substances known and it will continually leach out of the fillings poisoning your body until you die.  but dentists won’t tell you that.  in fact, they are kind of evil.

  • Geoff

    Why don’t you think there are more cures for diseases?  Curing things is not a business, it’s a one time payment and that’s it.  If you just work on the symptoms that’s where the money is at, they keep coming back for more.

  • Aardent

    THE FACT IS DENTISTS INVENTED PREVENTION. Dentists have responsibly preached cleaning your teeth, flossing, Water-piking, fluoride FOR THE BENEFIT  of their patient but to their own detriment. How many dentists sell chocolate and candy? That would be evidence of a vested motive. Fire the arrows at dentists but you are wrong. Dentists are highly professional

  • Fred O’Neill

    you make some very good points. the vaccum created by the absense of s mutans is interesting.  also, i had not considered the possibility of resistance.  we would need to know the nature or mechanism of the killing of the bacteria, correct?  is it biological like an antibiotic which, my understanding, poisons bacteria via a toxin.  or is it chemical like Hydrogen peroxide which oxidizes organic matter (not something that can become resistant anymore than bacteria could evolve to be resistant to a flamethrower) (I hope).  I’m not educated in these areas so I can only comment in general terms

  • Molly

     FDA will never approve and dental association will kill it…..politics politics…too much money involved.

  • Toof

    Maybe that could be something to watch. Overuse.