New article on how a worm treating drug could help dental periodontal cases. This will take years to catch on with your local dentist though.
What I find interesting, is that this all comes back to Biofilm and protozoan type of infections, even in the mouth. Enzymes play a role in making the biofilm in this case also.
Here's just one paragraph from the article:
"Current treatment for periodontitis involves scraping dental plaque, which is a polymicrobial biofilm, off of the root of the tooth.
Despite this unpleasant and costly ordeal, the biofilm frequently grows back. But the investigators showed in an animal model of periodontitis that the drug Oxantel inhibits this growth by interfering with an enzyme that bacteria require for biofilm formation, says corresponding author Eric Reynolds, of the University of Melbourne, Australia.
It does so in a dose-dependent manner, indicating efficacy."
Oxantel is an anthelmintic. It has typically been used human and animal use as a standard treatment for intestinal worms.
Oxantel is currently being experimented with for the treatment of periodontal disease by the Cooperative Research Centre for Oral Health Science (CRC). Professor Eric Reynolds (also the head of Dental School at the University of Melbourne, Australia) and his Associate Professor Stuart Dashper are currently testing its ability as a Fumarate reductase inhibitor.
Fumarate reductase is an enzyme that has been found in the pathogenic bacteria in the biofilm in periodontal pockets. This bacteria has the ability to convert blood components into energy and for the bacteria to be virulent. Such bacteria would starve without this enzyme. As such, the role of the Oxantel as a fumarate reductase inhibitor would be to kill the bacteria responsible for periodontal disease.
Posted by karenl (Member # 17753) on :
the article mentioned the treponema denticola as the reason this can be tested by spirostat labs ( PCR blood test)
thanks for posting
Posted by nefferdun (Member # 20157) on :
I wonder if it would be effective against biofilm in the blood. Xylitol is also very effective for destroying plaque on the teeth. It is even recommended in dental school. I have been trying to use a little xylitol everyday.
Posted by hadlyme (Member # 6364) on :
Xylitol is really good for lots of things yes...might have to study up on it again!
I did send the article to Dr.F. He has been asked to do more with dental biofilm, so figured if he hadn't heard of this yet, that he has now. We had discussed what is seen/found when one does root canals at the apex of the root. Some endodontists in AZ had asked him to start looking into it a few years ago when we discussed the dental biofilm.
I just received the article this morning in one of my dental publication emails.
Has your son heard of any of this yet Neff? It's only one study yet... so I would imagine the ADA will take a few years to come around to anything.