<story><title>Microbes that cause cavities can form superorganisms able to ‘crawl’</title><url>https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/microbes-cause-cavities-can-form-superorganisms-able-crawl-and-spread-teeth</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>Waterluvian</author><text>Anecdotally, I’m having one hell of a time with my 3yo and 5yo’s teeth.&lt;p&gt;No juice. No soda. No bad snacks. Lots of dentist recommended foods and snacks. Full brushing and flossing regimen. Fluoride.  Dentist applied special fluoride treatments. Trust me when I say we’re doing everything right.&lt;p&gt;And yet they’re 3 and 5 and have had so many cavities.&lt;p&gt;I asked my dad about it and he said my brothers and I had, frankly, poor dental hygiene, and not a single cavity until our teens.&lt;p&gt;I’m not saying it’s because of this organism or any specific thing. But I cannot shake the feeling that something significant has changed in the last 30 years.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>CrHn3</author><text>It is my understanding (from reading Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye) that bacteria is seeded from primary caregivers in the first year of life, and it can be difficult to modify them after this, but it’s possible.&lt;p&gt;My sister has impeccable dental hygiene and many cavities. Her children have had anesthesia because they needed so much dental work. I’m the kind of person who would floss once a year and never had a cavity until I was 28 and drinking many acidic diet sodas. I started the book’s regimen using xylitol, eating basic foods like chocolate and cheese after acidic foods and drinks, took Florassist dental probiotic and stayed on top of cleanings and have had less problems since. My child is okay so far despite some not so great habits. I get extra cleanings that first year and make sure other caregivers do too.</text></comment>
<story><title>Microbes that cause cavities can form superorganisms able to ‘crawl’</title><url>https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/microbes-cause-cavities-can-form-superorganisms-able-crawl-and-spread-teeth</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>Waterluvian</author><text>Anecdotally, I’m having one hell of a time with my 3yo and 5yo’s teeth.&lt;p&gt;No juice. No soda. No bad snacks. Lots of dentist recommended foods and snacks. Full brushing and flossing regimen. Fluoride.  Dentist applied special fluoride treatments. Trust me when I say we’re doing everything right.&lt;p&gt;And yet they’re 3 and 5 and have had so many cavities.&lt;p&gt;I asked my dad about it and he said my brothers and I had, frankly, poor dental hygiene, and not a single cavity until our teens.&lt;p&gt;I’m not saying it’s because of this organism or any specific thing. But I cannot shake the feeling that something significant has changed in the last 30 years.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>bmau5</author><text>Any chance they are mouth-breathing at night? It can lead to a shift in pH in the mouth which may increase risk of cavities [1]&lt;p&gt;[1] &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov&amp;#x2F;26666708&amp;#x2F;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov&amp;#x2F;26666708&amp;#x2F;&lt;/a&gt;</text></comment>