Research
Aug 31, 2006
Plasma 'needle' is looking sharp
Physicists in the US have shown that plasmas can be used to kill the bacteria that cause tooth decay. John Goree and colleagues at the University of Iowa have used a hand-held plasma "needle", which works at room temperature, to kill Streptococcus mutans grown in a glass dish (J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 39 3479). Although the needle is only an experimental device at the moment, the researchers say it could one day be used by dentists to replace mouthwash as a much more efficient way of eradicating oral bacteria.
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