Oral bacteria
Persister
Bacteria that survive the stress of antibiotics are called “Persister”. This is not due to genetic variation, but a phenotype that a small part of the population takes. Persister is also present in biofilms formed by bacteria in the oral cavity, and this presence is thought to be an obstacle to healing periodontal diseases and other causes of recurrence. Therefore, we are working on the development of treatments to prevent oral diseases by studying Persister formed by oral bacteria.
Biofilm formation suppression
Oral bacteria cause periodontal disease and caries by forming a community called biofilm in the tooth surface and periodontal pocket. We are conducting research to suppress biofilms formed by periodontopathic bacteria.
Sterilization and growth inhibition
There are various methods for sterilizing bacteria, and typical ones include UV irradiation, autoclave sterilization, and ethylene oxide gas (EOG). Dental turbines and the like are also sterilized by autoclaving or EOG, but there are problems such as time consuming processing, inability to use depending on materials, and concern about residual toxic gases. For this reason, we are working on the development of a sterilization treatment method that focuses on active oxygen species and is simple, low-cost, and has no impact on the human body or the environment.
