Dental News - Study identifies new bacterial species involved in dental caries formation

Iveta Ramonaite, Dental Tribune International

Tue. 20 June 2023

save

PHILADELPHIA, US: It was previously believed that Streptococcus mutans was the main microorganism responsible for dental caries. However, in a recent study, researchers have discovered that another bacterial species, Selenomonas sputigena, plays a major role in dental caries development. The unique insights gained in the study could help in the development of new strategies for caries prevention.

In the study, the researchers analysed samples of plaque from the teeth of 300 children aged 3 to 5 years, half of whom had caries. They then validated their findings on a further set of 116 plaque samples from 3- to 5-year-olds. They found that, although S. sputigena does not cause caries on its own, S. sputigena interacts with S. mutans in a manner that enhances its cariogenic power.

“This was an unexpected finding that gives us new insights into the development of caries, highlights potential future targets for cavity prevention, and reveals novel mechanisms of bacterial biofilm formation that may be relevant in other clinical contexts,” said senior author Prof. Hyun Michel Koo, a founding director of the Center for Innovation and Precision Dentistry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine.

The researchers explained that S. mutans metabolises sugars to produce glucans to protect the biofilm bacteria and that S. sputigena can become trapped in the glucans. Once this occurs, S. sputigena grows rapidly, forming honeycomb-shaped superstructures that further encapsulate and protect S. mutans, thus increasing acid production within the plaque.

The study was a collaboration between the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Adams School of Dentistry and Gillings School of Global Public Health. “This was a perfect example of collaborative science that couldn’t have been done without the complementary expertise of many groups and individual investigators and trainees,” said co-author Prof. Kimon Divaris from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The researchers are now planning to further investigate how S. sputigena ends up in the aerobic environment of the tooth surface. “This phenomenon in which a bacterium from one type of environment moves into a new environment and interacts with the bacteria living there, building these remarkable superstructures, should be of broad interest to microbiologists,” Prof. Koo concluded.

The study, titled “Selenomonas sputigena acts as a pathobiont mediating spatial structure and biofilm virulence in early childhood caries”, was published online on 22 May 2023 in Nature Communications.

Tags:

To post a reply please login or register

New risk of dental caries in the US

LEIPZIG, Germany: Rural communities across the US are facing a growing oral health crisis as access to fluoridated water and dental care diminishes. This ...

Study identifies promising new approach for treating tooth hypersensitivity

NEW YORK, NY, USA: NYU College of Dentistry researchers have identified a promising new approach for treating tooth hypersensitivity, while simultaneously ...

New VideaAI feature identifies aligner and implant candidates from radiographs

BOSTON, US: VideaHealth, a provider of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered dental technology, has introduced OrthoAI and ImplantAI—new features within ...

New clinical practice guideline on caries restorations now available

CHICAGO, US: To improve the clinical decision-making of dentists, the American Dental Association (ADA) has recently released a new clinical practice ...

Being involved in clinical activities did not increase risk of COVID-19, study says

BOSTON, US: During the pandemic, the majority of dental professionals had to cease their dental activities in order to slow down the spread of COVID-19. The...

Dental school researchers isolate steps in enamel formation

PITTSBURGH, PA, USA: Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine are piecing together the process of tooth enamel ...

Stone-age dental filling identified

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., USA: A team of Italian and Australian researches appears to have found physical proof that restorative dentistry dates to the Stone ...

Study links lack of supervised brushing in childhood to caries

FORT MYERS, Fla., US: Although many college students recognise the impact that lifestyle choices have on oral health, minority students often have limited ...

New study shows dental treatment during pregnancy is safe

CHICAGO, Ill., USA: It’s safe for pregnant women to undergo dental treatment with local anesthetics, according to a new study published in the August ...

First-ever study finds link between vaping and dental caries incidence

BOSTON, US: Adding to existing evidence on the link between vaping and a deterioration in oral health, researchers from Tufts University School of Dental ...

Education

Live webinar
Tue. 23 September 2025
10:00 AM EST (New York)