Dental caries could soon be resigned to history as scientists say they have developed a genetically modified (GM) mouthwash that prevents tooth decay. Delegates at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in Boston were told that the mouthwash alters the decay causing bacterium Streptococcus mutans into a form that does not produce enamel-attacking lactic acid. According to Professor Jeffrey Hillman, the man behind the mouthwash, one 5-minute treatment with the wash should last a lifetime. The procedure is expected to cost less than $150. Trials of the mouthwash on animals showed that it prevented tooth decay even when the animals were fed a high-sugar diet. Human trials of the GM mouthwash are expected to begin in both the US and the UK by the end of 2002.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Reported by www.bbc.co.uk on the 17th February 2002
