Cranberries may prevent tooth decay

BRISBANE, Australia, June 29 (UPI) -- Cranberries have several anti-oxidants that may have the ability to counteract the bacteria that causes tooth decay, say U.S. researchers.

Dental caries results from the interaction of specific bacteria with constituents of the diet on a susceptible tooth surface. Dental plaque accumulation is the first clinical evidence of this interaction.

Acid can be formed rapidly by acidogenic bacteria, such as Streptococcus mutans, within the matrix, and its persistence results in dissolution of the tooth.

Cranberries harbor a plethora of biological compounds such as flavonoids including quercetin and myricetin, phenolic acids such as benzoic acid, anthocyanins and condensed tannins, which can inhibit enzymes associated with the formation of the plaque, according to researchers at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Dental caries are the most common oral infectious disease that afflicting more than 95 percent of all adults.

The researchers presented the findings at the 84th General Session of the International Association for Dental Research in Brisbane.