{"id":2000128231,"date":"2026-10-07T16:10:05","date_gmt":"2026-10-07T14:10:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/?p=2000128231"},"modified":"2026-10-07T16:10:14","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T14:10:14","slug":"scientists-find-a-new-way-to-fight-gum-disease-without-killing-good-bacteria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/scientists-find-a-new-way-to-fight-gum-disease-without-killing-good-bacteria\/","title":{"rendered":"Scientists find a new way to fight gum disease without killing good bacteria"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The approach could one day lead to treatments that target harmful bacteria while preserving the beneficial microorganisms that are important for maintaining a healthy mouth, according to research highlighted by ScienceDaily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The human mouth contains roughly 700 species of bacteria. Although some are associated with disease, many others are part of a healthy oral microbiome. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers say that eliminating bacteria indiscriminately can therefore have unwanted effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, the scientists investigated whether changing the way bacteria communicate could influence which microorganisms become dominant in dental plaque.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bacteria can communicate through a process known as quorum sensing, in which they release chemical signals that help them detect nearby bacteria and coordinate their behaviour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some bacteria in the mouth use molecules called N-acyl homoserine lactones, or AHLs, for this communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers from the University of Minnesota examined how these signals influence the development of dental plaque and whether disrupting them could shift the bacterial community toward one associated with better oral health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They found that AHL signals produced by bacteria in oxygen-rich areas above the gumline could also affect bacteria living in oxygen-poor environments below the gumline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The team then used enzymes called lactonases to break down the AHL signals and interfere with bacterial communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the researchers blocked the signals under certain oxygen-rich conditions, the microbial community shifted toward bacteria associated with better oral health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In contrast, adding AHL signals under oxygen-poor conditions encouraged the growth of later-colonizing bacteria linked to periodontal disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mikael Elias, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota and senior author of the research, compared the development of dental plaque to the growth of a forest ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early bacterial communities include species such as Streptococcus and Actinomyces, which are generally associated with good oral health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the plaque community becomes more complex, it can include bacteria such as Porphyromonas gingivalis, which is strongly associated with periodontal disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The researchers say the findings suggest that bacterial communication could potentially be manipulated to keep dental plaque in a healthier state instead of attempting to eliminate the entire microbial community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the approach is still at the research stage. Scientists say more work is needed to understand how these communication systems vary throughout the mouth and among people with different stages of periodontal disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and was published in npj Biofilms and Microbiomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Researchers are exploring how disrupting bacterial communication could help maintain a healthier balance of microorganisms in dental plaque.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Researchers have discovered a potential approach to treating gum disease by changing how bacteria communicate rather than trying to destroy them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":139,"featured_media":2000128232,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"byline":[201],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-2000128231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","byline-rania-umutoni"],"bylines":[{"id":201,"name":"Rania Umutoni","slug":"rania-umutoni","description":"","image":{"id":2000122457,"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-08-14-at-12.00.00-PM.jpeg","title":"WhatsApp Image 2026-08-14 at 12.00.00 PM","mime_type":"image\/jpeg"},"user_id":139}],"contributors":[{"id":201,"name":"Rania Umutoni","slug":"rania-umutoni","description":"","image":{"id":2000122457,"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-08-14-at-12.00.00-PM.jpeg","title":"WhatsApp Image 2026-08-14 at 12.00.00 PM","mime_type":"image\/jpeg"},"user_id":139}],"featured_image":{"id":2000128232,"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/10\/bacteria-on-tooth-surface.webp","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/webp","width":1920,"height":1080,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/10\/bacteria-on-tooth-surface.webp","width":1920,"height":1080},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/10\/bacteria-on-tooth-surface.webp","width":1920,"height":1080},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/10\/bacteria-on-tooth-surface.webp","width":1920,"height":1080},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/10\/bacteria-on-tooth-surface.webp","width":1920,"height":1080},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/10\/bacteria-on-tooth-surface.webp","width":1920,"height":1080}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000128231","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/139"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2000128231"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000128231\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2000128337,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000128231\/revisions\/2000128337"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000128232"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2000128231"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2000128231"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2000128231"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=2000128231"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=2000128231"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}