4 ms·

Without S Mutans, there wouldn’t really be a need for implants, prosthodontics, etc. Sure, you’ll have orthodontics left, but pretty much anything else (includi

by dannyw 9y ago

Without S Mutans, there wouldn’t really be a need for implants, prosthodontics, etc. Sure, you’ll have orthodontics left, but pretty much anything else (including even routine cleanings) would be wiped out. It’s no surprise the FDA has suppressed this industry-changing research that would save so much pain and suffering in the world.

jessaustin 9y ago
You have an incomplete understanding of the causes of tooth loss. Anyone who gets old enough will lose her teeth for a panoply of geriatric reasons that do not include caries or periodontitis. In addition teeth are lost for other reasons including drug use, injury, dietary deficiencies, etc. You also profoundly underestimate the cashflow from dentistry that is purely cosmetic or otherwise unrelated to replacing missing teeth. I'm as critical of FDA as anyone but this is straight conspiracy theory. Why has no one started selling this miracle cure over the internet?
- dannyw 9y ago
  You have a fair point. Still, if S Mutans was nullified, I do believe this will significantly impact dental practice cash flow that I wouldn't be surprised if most goes out of business (over a long timeframe, as more people get this treatment). If your practice has margins of 20%, then a 25% drop in procedures will mean you go out of business. And why hasn't anyone started selling this? Well, large-scale synthesis and reproduction of genetically modified bacteria has significant upfront costs; no one is going to invest $20m in a production line if all they can do is sell it on darknet markets.
  - tokyodude 9y ago
    Any bio hackers doing this DIY?
  - jessaustin 8y ago
    Once upon a time one could have been forgiven for thinking the dentists had this type of political control, just by comparing the cars they drove to the cars driven by e.g. physicians. However, the recent boom in dental-school-openings is a much bigger threat to their individual earnings than a potential bacterial wonder treatment. I don't know much about bacterial treatments, but one can buy them for the garden for like $10. They do a number on the hornworms. This is a "natural" bacteria rather than an engineered one, but bacteria reproduce rather than requiring manufacture. If someone has this miracle bug in a lab, she could start selling small quantities pretty easily.

by dannyw 9y ago

jessaustin 9y ago

You have an incomplete understanding of the causes of tooth loss. Anyone who gets old enough will lose her teeth for a panoply of geriatric reasons that do not include caries or periodontitis. In addition teeth are lost for other reasons including drug use, injury, dietary deficiencies, etc. You also profoundly underestimate the cashflow from dentistry that is purely cosmetic or otherwise unrelated to replacing missing teeth. I'm as critical of FDA as anyone but this is straight conspiracy theory. Why has no one started selling this miracle cure over the internet?

dannyw 9y ago
You have a fair point. Still, if S Mutans was nullified, I do believe this will significantly impact dental practice cash flow that I wouldn't be surprised if most goes out of business (over a long timeframe, as more people get this treatment). If your practice has margins of 20%, then a 25% drop in procedures will mean you go out of business. And why hasn't anyone started selling this? Well, large-scale synthesis and reproduction of genetically modified bacteria has significant upfront costs; no one is going to invest $20m in a production line if all they can do is sell it on darknet markets.
- tokyodude 9y ago
  Any bio hackers doing this DIY?
- jessaustin 8y ago
  Once upon a time one could have been forgiven for thinking the dentists had this type of political control, just by comparing the cars they drove to the cars driven by e.g. physicians. However, the recent boom in dental-school-openings is a much bigger threat to their individual earnings than a potential bacterial wonder treatment. I don't know much about bacterial treatments, but one can buy them for the garden for like $10. They do a number on the hornworms. This is a "natural" bacteria rather than an engineered one, but bacteria reproduce rather than requiring manufacture. If someone has this miracle bug in a lab, she could start selling small quantities pretty easily.