New sweets invented that fight tooth decay

We all know that sweets are bad for our teeth but  it's not the sugar itself that causes tooth decay, its the bacteria that feed on the sugar and stick to the surface of the teeth.

But now scientists reckon they've created a sweet that protects teeth against this decay - made of bacteria.

These new sweets contain 'friendly' bacteria so when they're sucked they release it into the mouth, where it binds with the corrosive type of bacteria, to stop it coating the teeth. It's then harmlessly swallowed.

It's the same type of bacteria that are found in probiotic drinks that are also good for the digestive system. And it's hoped they could help ward off the rise in tooth decay in children.By the time UK teens are 15, they've had an average of 2.5 fillings or tooth extractions and a quarter of five-year-olds are thought to have some level of tooth decay.

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German company Organobalance GMBH has made the boiled sweets. In tests using a wide variety of flavours, adults had their saliva checked before and after eating them (or a placebo sweet) and results showed that 75 per cent of those who had been given the real sweets had lower levels of harmful bacteria in their mouths.

The findings have added weight to the idea that 'good bacteria' has an important role to play in oral hygiene and we may soon see this technology added to toothpastes and other dental products.