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Look, Mom! No More Cavities!

Dentistry has made remarkable progress in cavity prevention through improved dental hygiene techniques--brushing, flossing, and fluoride in drinking water, toothpastes, and mouthwashes. Still, 49% of American children under the age of 12 have cavities. Our mouths are perfect breeding zones, hosting more than 500 species of bacteria, the cause of cavities. The goal of today's dental research is to detect cavities before the dentist or hygienist can find them, and induce our teeth to repair themselves. MSNBC's Jane Ellen Stevens reports on the research to add cavity-fighting antibodies to plants we eat and other techniques in our dental futures.

Tue, 28 Mar 2000 16:23:54 -0800