The researchers from Newcastle University have made this assumption by studying Bacillus licheniformis, the organisms living in marine algae.
Initially, this study had nothing to do with human health. The British tried to find out whether it was possible to effectively clean the hull of ships from the colonies of pathogenic organisms, creating deposits on the bottom and sides of ships, with the help of microorganisms.
It is not difficult to make an analogy because plaque on people’s teeth consists of bacteria, which form colonies and supersede any other “competitors”, who want to live there. Unfortunately, a usual toothbrush can not always provide reliable protection, it simply fails to reach certain areas (between the teeth, for example), where bacteria can accumulate. According to Dr. Nick Jakubowicz, who led the study conducted by British scientists, laboratory tests had shown that using Bacillus licheniformis enzymes one could try to remove the unwanted plaque by adding them to toothpastes, mouth rinses and rinses for dentures.
