A
team of scientists led by José Córdoba from Yale University and Erich
Astudillo from the University of Chile have developed a chemical that
can kill all the cavity-causing bacteria in a person’s mouth -in only 60
seconds! They call it Keep 32, because using it may let you keep all 32
of your teeth for a lifetime.
If Keep 32 is as successful in testing as it is in the
lab, it’s likely that the chemical would be added to toothpaste,
mouthwash, and other oral hygiene products, especially if researchers
sell their patent to one of the major pharmaceutical companies. However,
Astudillo isn’t limiting his product to the dental world. He also hopes
to license the chemical to candy companies like Hershey’s or Cadbury.
Keep 32 could be added to sticky sweets, meaning that consumers would no
longer need to be concerned that a package of saltwater taffy or
caramel would cause tooth decay. Parents will have to come up with a
different excuse to prevent their children from eating copious amounts
of Laffy Taffy.
After seven years of research, Keep 32 is ready for human trials, if the researchers can get the funding.
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