DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

Hey everyone! My name is Streptococcus mutans, and welcome to my crib!

 

Streptococcus mutans is kind of a mouthful, so you can just call me S. mutans for short. I like to spend my days hanging out in the oral cavities (mouth) of most people and boy is it a good time! I am a big contributor to the decaying of teeth, which usually affects and impacts a persons overall oral health. 

 

The way I cause tooth decay is simple really. I am a cariogenic microorganism, so I breakdown sugar and use it for energy as well as producing an acidic environment. Because of that I demineralize the typical structure of a humans mouth and more importantly the structure of their teeth.

 

I'm a bit of an opportunistic organism. I'm not a huge fan of the coating on a person's tooth and if someone isn't taking proper care of their teeth with routein oral hygeine I can make that coating disappear, just like magic. This causes holes to form, which is the perfect spot for me to chill in and have some “me time”.

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

1) Streptococcus mutans- Tooth Decay - MicrobeWiki. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2016, from https://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Streptococcus_mutans-_Tooth_Decay#Signs_and_Symptoms

 

7) Bassett, A. (n.d.). Streptococcus mutans. Retrieved November 28, 2016, from http://web.mst.edu/~microbio/BIO221_2006/S_mutans.htm

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.