elwoodblues

<a href="http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_523337.html?menu=news.scienceanddiscovery" target="_blank">http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_523337.html?menu=news.scienceanddiscovery</a>

This is just too cool. Exactly the kind of stuff we'll be seeing in the next few decades. I didn't expect to see it so soon, though...

"A genetically modified mouthwash has been developed which could effectively eliminate tooth decay, scientists claim.
The mouth rinse contains a friendlier GM version of the bug that rots the teeth which does not produce enamel eroding acid.
When the solution is squirted into the mouth, the good bugs take over from the Streptococcus mutans bacteria and prevent them from returning.
According to the researchers, a single five-minute treatment costing less than £100 would last a lifetime."

Damn. Just super-bad-ass.

Ipecac

Not only does this benefit us, it also benefits our pets. Imagine engineering a batch of these organisms that also emits a minty scent. No more dog breath.

Egoinos

I bet it would taste disgusting though.

kwigibo

and fluoride treatments are delicious

Steven S

One of the people I went to college with is now a grad student working at Michigan trying to develop a mouthwash that rebuilds the enamel of your teeth. I don't know how far along their project is though.

emphryio

My god this will destroy the toothpaste industry!

That's something I get paranoid about. At least I hope it's just paranoia. New inventions being squashed by the people at the top who want to stay at the top at all cost.

For instance if someone made a device that could produce energy at virtually no cost, I wonder if that person would suddenly mysteriously die and then his invention would be declared a hoax and forgotten.

Or getting a little more realistic. Look at all these illnesses that can't be outright cured but if you take tons of medication and spend a ton of money, you can control or lessen the effects of the illness. (Ex. Common cold, AIDS.)

But that's a bit of a rant about corruption and immorality concerning the types of people who invariably get in positions of power. And I hope I'm just paranoid and overly pessimistic. But truthfully, I'll be extremely surprised if we ever do see such a mouthwash on the market.

Can you name anything revolutionary on the market that destroyed an existing industry in the last say 30 years?

Another example, satelite TV in America. It should blow cable TV out of the water. But its set-up so that you can't get the local channels or the three main channels, (ABC, CBS, NBC), so many people choose to just keep cable, while many also get satelite in addition. At least this compromise brings in satelite technology, (while holding it back to an extent).

But with this mouthwash, I don't see how a compromise could be made. So I will be seriously surprised if that mouthwash is ever on the market.

Sorry for my pessimism.

elwoodblues

"Can you name anything revolutionary on the market that destroyed an existing industry in the last say 30 years?"

Typewriters replaced by computers. Cassettes replaced by CDs. Various raw materials replaced by plastics. Over the last five years and the next decade, mail replaced by email. That's off the top of my head.

Don't be worried about some dental lobby pressuring Congress to force the FDA to ban the stuff. Won't happen. If nothing else, there are parental interest groups. And even candy manufacturers

emphryio

Ahhh those poor typewriter people.

But this is somewhat bigger in that more than half the dentists I think would be out of work. (Either that or they'd just start charging twice as much for braces).
Plus you only buy one or two typewriters in a lifetime. There is a lot more money in toothpaste, etc.

Also plastics is way too relatively simple to have been stopped.
And the same people who made cassettes made CDs I think.

If the invention is squashed early on, the FDA won't need to ban it. Say the dental hygiene companies illegally get together. (Just like it appears the pharmaceutical companies and music companies recently did and probably many others.) One buys the rights to this mouthwash. Unless they all plan on charging an absurd amount of money for the mouthwash, they would then just do some additional tests and then say that it causes cancer or whatever and do their best to bury it.

But golly I hope I'm wrong. We'll see.

ohwilleke

(Not all the last thirty years, but).

Commercial airplanes killed passanger railroads.

Compact electric refrigeration killed the home ice delivery business (once there were ice factories in every town and guys who came into your house and delivered it to your ice box).

Electric refrigeration killed the milk delivery business.

Antibiotics killed the TB hospital industry (once an important part of the Denver economy).

Telephones and improved shipping technology destroyed most of the American manufacturing industry. Once the U.S. made televisions, most of the world's automobiles, and lots of other consumer good that it no longer makes due to the ability to import goods economically instead of producing goods at home.

Ready to wear clothing has killed the tailored clothing industry which is now confined to high end imported suits and wedding dresses. Once, almost all clothing was tailored.

Expresso machines killed the U.S. regular coffee shop.

FM radio killed AM radio (which still exists but only at a fraction of the listenership). CDs killed records. DVD is killing videotape.

The fax machine and e-mail are systematically gutting courier services.

Calculators killed slide rules.

Natural gas pipelines and related furnances killed the heating oil and coal businesses.

The optical scan and computerized vote counting machines are about to kill the punch card and lever voting machine industries.

Credit cards have virtually elminated the commercial phenomena of having a "tab" where the store grants you credit.

elwoodblues

Thanks for better stating my sloppy examples, ohwilleke. Much appreciated