New Antibiotic Fights Severe Gum Disease

A narrow-spectrum antibiotic targets harmful bacteria involved in severe gum disease and linked to systemic conditions such as heart disease and Alzheimer’s.

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Scientists have found a new antibiotic that targets the main culprit behind gum disease.

In an August study published in the Journal of Oral Microbiology, researchers found that a narrow-spectrum antibiotic, FP-100, eliminated bad bacteria called Fusobacterium nucleatum in mice—without harming beneficial bacteria—and “significantly” reduced bone loss that had resulted from the condition.