Dr. Hassanein Jawad Abdel Hussein, a teaching instructor at the College of Dentistry, University of Karbala, published a scientific research in the Carcinogenesis magazine, affiliated with the international publishing house Scopus, entitled The Role of Streptococcus mutans in Tooth Decay.
The study aimed to clarify the role of Streptococcus mutans bacteria in tooth decay and how it transforms from non-pathogenic bacteria that are regularly and naturally present in the mouth and teeth to pathogenic bacteria that cause tooth decay when the necessary conditions are available for it.
The study concluded that these bacteria cause tooth decay through their formation of biofilms on the surfaces of the teeth, which results in the formation of a layer of plaque, in association with other types of microorganisms present in the mouth, as well as through their high ability to produce acids by converting simple sugars into Lactic acid produces and resists acids at the same time. It also works to convert simple sugars into complex sugars that increase the ability to adhere to bacteria on the surfaces of the teeth.
The study included mentioning and clarifying the most important virulence factors possessed by these bacteria that lead to tooth decay, including storing carbohydrates for other times to use them as a source for the production of acids and toxins if the necessary conditions are created for them, such as not paying good attention to oral and dental hygiene or excessive consumption of sugars, especially before sleep.
It is noteworthy that the journal in which the study was published is considered to be ranked second in the world, Q2, and has an impact factor of 4.7 in the Scopus rankings.
millimeter. Sultan Karim Sultan
Government Media and Communications Division
