I got some inquiries about my earlier statement that mere dietary changes can essentially abolish tooth decay arising from S. mutans.
First, it is common sense. Your dentist tells you that sugar is a problem. ALL carbohydrates, including complex carbs, break down into one thing: sugar. In fact, carbs are simply sugar polymers. Your saliva even contains compounds that turn carbs into sugar. So if you eat grains, grain products, sugars and starchy roots, S. mutans might be a problem for you unless you remove (through brushing and flossing) all hint of carbs from your mouth quickly after consumption. If you don't eat these things, it won't be a problem.
Of course, I am geeky. I cultured S. mutans and played around with the content of the growing medium. Yup, just as with anything else, it makes a difference. This is not at all unprecedented. Common gut bacteria alter what they produce based upon what they are fed too.
My experience is far from unique. I eat what is called "paleo diet." Others on this diet have the same or similar experiences. Links to useful resources follow.
Elton, S. (2008). "Environments, adaptations and evolutionary medicine: Should we be eating a ‘stone age’ diet?". in O’Higgins, P. & Elton, S..
Medicine and Evolution: Current Applications, Future Prospects. London: Taylor and Francis. ISBN 1420051342.
Cordain, Loren (1999).
"Cereal grains: humanity's double-edged sword" (PDF).
World review of nutrition and dietetics 84: 19–73. doi:10.1159/000059677. PMID 10489816.
http://www.thepaleodiet.com/articles...%20article.pdf.
http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/592111
http://www.curetoothdecay.com/
http://freetheanimal.com/2009/04/cur...-cavities.html
http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.co...oth-decay.html
http://anthropology.net/2008/10/15/w...more-cavities/
http://crossfitdecatur.com/blog/nutr...the-paleo-diet
