We all know people who never get cavities. We've also heard that kissing can help prevent cavities. Why might this be? Dr. White at UCLA told me that dental cavities are a complex problem dealing with the bacterial ecology. Here is one idea that might turn out to be the key: There is competition between the cariogenic bacterium, Streptococcus mutans, and the non cavity causing Streptococcus sanguis. "The higher the initial population, the easier it became predominant, or the harder it was eliminated from the mixed population." Adding S. sanguis to your mouth is not the answer, in fact, it could kill you. S. sanguis binds to oral surfaces and allows other bacteria to attach. "Furthermore, S. sanguis has been long recognized as a leading cause of bacterial endocarditis, a disease of high morbidity which is fatal if untreated." Is there some other "good bacteria" that people with no cavities have? It seems so ... "S. mutans comprises thousands of different strains, some more harmful than others, which partly explains why some people have more, or more severe, cavities than others. The solution may be to target individual strains.
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