UCLA researcher have announced a discovery that should have garnered more attention in the media: a mouthwash that could effectively eliminate dental cavities. The study details how the researchers have been able to eliminate S. mutans bacteria – the main cause of tooth decay — while not killing good bacteria that helps fight tooth decay. Current mouthwash products act like nuclear bombs — killing good and bad bacteria indiscriminately. The scientists used new antimicrobial technology known as specifically targeted anti-microbial peptides, or STAMP.
This might not be good news for the dental industry. The research was funded by Colgate-Palmolive to develop a “smart bomb” to kill only harmful bacteria. Lead researcher, Dr. Wenyuan Shi says that “With this new antimicrobial technology, we have the prospect of actually wiping out tooth decay in our lifetime.” He compared that effect to how an herbicide kills both weeds and surrounding healthy grass. “We let the mouth grow grass, and we prevent the weeds from coming back.” This is why scientists make lousy ad executives. We grow grass in your mouth is not likely to be the final marketing slogan for Colgate-Palmolive.
Personally, I want to see the movie where a shadowy group of dentists called Opus Dent fights scientists known as the Priory of Stamp to destroy the formula that would end tooth decay. The secret location was hidden by Leonardo da Vinci in the hidden teeth of the Mona Lisa. The day is saved by a law professor who heroically and brilliantly learns the code. Now that is a movie.
Source: CBS
Roger Lambert-
The pun is the lowest form of humor- that’s why I love them so much. Thanks!
Prof T-
I like your movie plot, but I have to tell you that Nostradamus wrote the entire screen play in 12 B.C. I know because I saw it on the History Channel. They showed it during Zombie, Ghost, and Vampire Week.
Now, if they could just figure out one for Capital Hill….Oh….I am sorry…. that’s moral decay….guess we’ll have to wait another decay…..
Capitol-the dome….Capital Hill-the Ass’s that reside therein….
But what about periodontal disease? ack, this is so interesting since antibiotics are a somewhat crude tool…If we could target only bad bacteria all over the body it would be a huge medical breakthrough.
I love science. I keep wondering why industry keeps wanting to deregulate things like DDT, I keep wondering why they dont have something much better to replace those old problematic things. Its the 21st Century after all. They should never let everything stagnate to prop up 20th Century science and technology….
Gene,
I, as one of your devoted clients, will never leave you.
Oh wait, he was serious! He has not been paying attention to the debate inside the US for the last 25 years has he?
anon
“As the market economy and public sector decline, Rifkin predicted the growth of a third sector—voluntary and community-based service organizations—that will create new jobs with government support to rebuild decaying neighborhoods and provide social services. To finance this enterprise, he advocated scaling down the military budget, enacting a value added tax on nonessential goods and services and redirecting federal and state funds to provide a “social wage” in lieu of welfare payments to third-sector workers”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Oh wait, he was serious! He has not been paying attention to the debate inside the US for the last 25 years has he?
interesting, anon.
anon,
Do you always psychologically project when you go off topic or is your mind just naturally that disorganized?
Whatever happened to the end of work? If we thought the end of work was a good thing, and reformulated society towards that end, we might be a lot better off than where we are now, where the work ends and panic sets because the jobs ain’t coming back and we all still need a job.
But look at Gene H for example. If he could retire now both he and his clients would be much better off.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_End_of_Work
The End of Work: The Decline of the Global Labor Force and the Dawn of the Post-Market Era is a non-fiction book by American economist Jeremy Rifkin, published in 1995 by Putnam Publishing Group.[1]
In 1995, Rifkin contended that worldwide unemployment would increase as information technology eliminates tens of millions of jobs in the manufacturing, agricultural and service sectors. He traced the devastating impact of automation on blue-collar, retail and wholesale employees. While a small elite of corporate managers and knowledge workers reap the benefits of the high-tech world economy, the American middle class continues to shrink and the workplace becomes ever more stressful.
As the market economy and public sector decline, Rifkin predicted the growth of a third sector—voluntary and community-based service organizations—that will create new jobs with government support to rebuild decaying neighborhoods and provide social services. To finance this enterprise, he advocated scaling down the military budget, enacting a value added tax on nonessential goods and services and redirecting federal and state funds to provide a “social wage” in lieu of welfare payments to third-sector workers
It’s here! The premier of: A Party In Your Mouth:
Prof.,
I love your movie plot! Which law professor do we get to play the lead role??? Hmmm?
Herbicide for the mouth; interesting. New from Colgate; MolarShield! Don’t delay! Don’t decay. Get yours NOW!
Opus dent? There’s got to be a Jesus Chrest joke in there somewhere.
I would guess a lot of dentists would like to not have to fill cavities so they would encourage this development. Not only is there a higher margin in the other stuff they do it is ‘cleaner’ work that drillin-n-fillin.