Cranberries Could Hold Key to Preventing Cavities, Say Dental Researchers

A team led by oral biologist Hyun (Michel) Koo, D.D.S., Ph.D., found that the same traits that make cranberry juice a powerful weapon against bladder infections also hold promise for protecting teeth against cavities.

Koo found that cranberry juice makes it difficult for the bacteria that cause cavities to cling to tooth surfaces.

"Scientists believe that one of the main ways that cranberries prevent urinary tract infections is by inhibiting the adherence of pathogens on the surface of the bladder," said Koo. "Perhaps the same is true in the mouth, where bacteria use adhesion molecules to hold onto teeth."

Bacteria use enzymes known as glucosyltransferases to build dental plaque. Koo's team found that cranberry juice prevents bacteria from forming plaque by inhibiting those enzymes.

"Something in the cranberry juice disarms the pathogens that cause tooth decay," Koo said.

But cranberry juice found on the juice aisle of the grocery store isn't likely to prevent tooth decay, Koo said. Most have added sugar, which can cause cavities. Also, the natural acidity of cranberry juice may contribute directly to tooth decay.

Koo hopes to isolate the anti-cavity compounds within cranberry juice. The substances could then be added to toothpaste or mouth rinse directly. He is working with Nicholi Vorsa, Ph.D., a plant pathologist and director of the Blueberry and Cranberry Research and Extension Center at Rutgers University, to isolate the compounds in juice that are most protective.

"There is a massive number of publications about the effect of cranberries on urinary tract infections," said Koo, "but there are only few studies on the dental side."

The cranberry research was published in the January 2006 issue of Caries Research. Other authors include dentist Patricia Nino de Guzman, dental student Brian Schobel, and microbiologist Anne Vacca Smith, Ph.D., and dental researcher William Bowen, D.D.S., Ph.D.