Preventing bacteria from falling in with the wrong crowd could help stop gum disease
The study by academics at the University of Bristol’s School of Oral and Dental Sciences and published in the journal Microbiology, suggests that this bacterial access key could be a drug target for people who are at high risk of developing gum disease.
Oral bacteria called Treponema denticola frequently gang up in communities with other pathogenic oral bacteria to produce destructive dental plaque. This plaque, made up of bacteria, saliva and food debris, is a major cause of bleeding gums and gum disease. Later in life this can lead to periodontitis and loss of teeth. I