Scientists Can Tell Your Ethnicity From The Germs In Your Mouth
Mouth Bacteria Left: Bacteria signature in plaque under the gums. Right: Bacteria in the saliva. Each ethnicity is represented by a different color. Mason et al. Every human mouth is unique. In each, a diverse microbial community thrives, in the spit, the plaque, and under the gums. The bacterial cocktail is a little different for everyone. It seems that genetics may play a large role in determining what kind of communities you're carrying around between your teeth, though. A new study from The Ohio State University suggests that different ethnicities have distinct oral bacterial profiles, a finding that could influence the treatment of oral diseases. Almost 400 different species were thriving in the mouths of 100 people from four different ethnic backgrounds: African American, Caucasian, Latino and Chinese. Only 2 percent of...