4 ms·
> Dental caries aren't caused by a single species of bacteria, but by multiple species working together. Yeah, but not many. Next to the ~half-dozen-hundreds-o
by dualogy 10y ago
> Dental caries aren't caused by a single species of bacteria, but by multiple species working together.
Yeah, but not many. Next to the ~half-dozen-hundreds-or-so of species populating our oral cavity without issue (indeed contributing just fine), we know of just ~under-half-a-dozen-or-so potentially dangerous ones. The very ones who create the very few actually damaging acids (among the many kinds in the world that our initially-generally-robust dentition handles just-fine) when fermenting carbohydrate leftovers. Brushing regularly disrupts or may even destroy their biofilm, Xylitol accomplishes/contributes the same FWIW, or absent dietary carbohydrate (read, ancestral ice-age hunters / traditional inuit / Maasai warriors etc) the problematic sort doesn't even ever form.