Many people know that Helicobacter pylori can enter the human body from the mouth, settle in the stomach, and continuously reproduce offspring, which in turn can lead to chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer, and even gastric cancer, which is very scary [1] ].
(source: made by myself)
The irritable little doctor found that a toothpaste that is said to be able to resist Helicobacter pylori appeared on the market, and the price was much more expensive than the ordinary one.
Do these toothpastes really kill Helicobacter pylori?
The irritable little doctor concluded and found that there are two main categories of ingredients in “Shayou toothpaste”.
1. Traditional Chinese Medicine
This type of toothpaste is often under the guise of “herbal formula”, and the ingredients are mostly mint, honeysuckle, astragalus, isatidis, chrysanthemum, licorice, aloe vera and other extracts.
The irritable little doctor has searched the literature database and found that the research on the mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection is not in-depth enough, and the specific mechanism of action is still unclear, and further research is needed. There is no clear evidence to support that herbal ingredients can kill Helicobacter pylori.
2. Lactoferrin
This protein is a general member of the immune army, stationed in various tissues of the human body and their secretions (such as milk, gastric juice, pancreatic juice, bile, etc.), and is the first line to fight microorganisms invasion.
When Helicobacter pylori is ready to invade the body, the body secretes more lactoferrin to destroy it. The concentration of lactoferrin in the gastric juice of patients with Helicobacter pylori infection was significantly increased [2].
(source: made by myself)
Attention! Toothpaste with added lactoferrin is not a drug, and no studies have confirmed that this type of toothpaste can kill Helicobacter pylori in the mouth.
In fact, there is a question mark about whether there is Helicobacter pylori in the mouth.
While numerous studies have found H. pylori in the mouth, it is difficult to grow the bacteria from the mouth.
Therefore, whether Helicobacter pylori actually exists in the oral cavity is still a topic of academic debate.
Some scientists believe that when poor oral hygiene and severe periodontal disease occur, deep periodontal pockets provide a breeding ground for Helicobacter pylori to colonize. Helicobacter pylori can also hide in the root canal of the tooth infected with the pulp. If pulpitis is not treated, this bacteria may have been dormant in the oral cavity [3-5].
(source: made by myself)
However, some people believe that Helicobacter pylori detected in the oral cavity is only refluxed into the oral cavity with gastric juice. Moreover, this bacterium can only survive in the oral cavity for a few hours, and cannot set off a storm [6].
The irritable little doctor summarizes: Is there any Helicobacter pylori in the mouth? Scientists haven’t figured it out yet. How can they judge whether toothpaste can kill the bacteria in the mouth? ?
To put it bluntly, this toothpaste is IQ tax!
Toothpaste can only be used as a friction agent to help remove the coloring and partial plaque on the tooth surface, clean and polish the tooth surface and refresh the mouth. Toothpaste is not a medicine, it cannot cure or prevent disease!
1. If the physical examination shows that you are infected with Helicobacter pylori, you should go to the hospital for a clear diagnosis, and follow the doctor’s advice to take reasonable drug treatment.
In fact, whether or not to treat Helicobacter pylori infection is controversial in medicine. Just listen to the doctor.
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
2. A large number of studies have found that maintaining oral health and hygiene can help cure gastric Helicobacter pylori infection and reduce the recurrence rate [7,8].
The oral environment is complex, and it is easy to breed bacteria, leading to caries (tooth decay), periodontitis, etc.
It is recommended to perform oral examination and scaling every six months to prevent periodontal disease and reduce the chance of Helicobacter pylori traveling and staying in the oral cavity.
Finally, I would like to remind everyone that Helicobacter pylori is highly contagious and spreads widely in the population. At present, the infection rate in the world has exceeded 50%. The average infection rate in China is 56%. 800 million people have Helicobacter pylori infection [9], which has a lot to do with the use of public chopsticks and mouth-to-mouth feeding.
Therefore, it is more important to use public chopsticks, implement a divided meal system, and not to feed children mouth-to-mouth.
(source: made by myself)
Review expert: Yin Xiaomin| Deputy Chief Physician, Department of Oral Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University
References
[1]Dunn, B.E.; Cohen, H.; Blaser, M.J. Helicobacter pylori. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 1997, 10, 720C741.
[2]Relation of lactoferrin levels in gastric mucosa with Helicobacter pylori infection and with the degree of gastric inflammation.
[3]Lauritano, D.; Cura, F.; Candotto, V.; Gaudio, R.M.; Mucchi, D.; Carinci, F. Periodontal pockets as a reservoir of Helicobacter pylori causing relapse of gastric ulcer: A review of the literature. J. Biol. Regul. Homeost. Agent. 2015, 29, 123C126.
[4]Tongtawee, T.; Wattanawongdon, W.; Simawaranon, T. Effffects of periodontal therapy on eradication and recurrence of Helicobacter pylori infection after successful treatment. J. Int. Med. Res . 2019, 47, 875C883.
[5]Andersen RN, Ganeshkumar N, Kolenbrander PE. Helicobacter pylori adheres selectively to Fusobacterium spp. Oral Microbiol Immunol. 1998;13:51C54.
[6]Krzyek P , Gociniak G . Oral Helicobacter pylori: Interactions with host and microbial flora of the oral cavity[J]. Dental and Medical Problems, 2018, 55(1):75 -82.
[7]Wang XM, Yee KC, Hazeki-Taylor N, Li J, Fu HY, Huang ML. Oral Helicobacter pylori, its relationship to successful eradication of gastric H. pylori and saliva culture confifirmation. J Physiol Pharmacol 2014; 65: 559C566.
[8] Anand PS, Kamath KP, Anil S. Role of dental plaque, saliva and periodontal disease in Helicobacter pylori infection. World J Gastroenterol 2014; 20: 5639C5653.
[9] Chi Zhaochun, standing at a new height, do a good job in the prevention and treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection [J]. World Chinese Journal of Digestion, 2016, 24 (16): 2454-59 .
*The content of this article is for the popularization of health knowledge. It cannot be used as a specific diagnosis and treatment recommendation, nor can it replace the face-to-face consultation of a licensed physician. It is for reference only.
*The copyright of this article belongs to Tencent Medical Dictionary. Unauthorized reprinting by media is prohibited. Illegal reprinting will be investigated for legal responsibility according to law. Individuals are welcome to forward to the circle of friends.