Product 07 of 14
Lozenges and paste for long missions, where dental emergencies cannot be treated.
A dental emergency on the way to Mars cannot be treated in flight, so prevention matters. Tongue and mouth microbes shift during spaceflight, along with those of the gut and skin.
Oral Microbiome Care is a concept for lozenges and paste that support a balanced oral microbial community over a multi-year mission. The goal is to keep the mouth healthy with a stable, easy-to-use product.
At concept stage, the work is to define strain and ingredient candidates and test their stability in lozenge and paste formats.
The problem
In astronauts on 6 to 12 month ISS missions, gut, skin, nose and tongue microbes all shifted, with changes linked to skin rashes and immune alteration.
Source: published spaceflight studies and NASA planning figures; refers to work by other groups.
The science
Why this approach.
The mouth hosts hundreds of bacterial species, and the balance between them influences decay and gum disease. Mouth and tongue microbes shift during spaceflight. On a mission to Mars, a toothache or abscess cannot be treated by a dentist, so prevention carries extra weight.
Lozenges and a low-foam paste could support a balanced oral community and reduce risk over a multi-year mission. The concept is to define strains and ingredients with a plausible benefit, make them stable in a dry lozenge and a paste, and test them in oral models before any crew study.
In use
Across the length of a mission.
How this product is intended to fit into a crew's routine, from loading to return.
Lozenges and paste stored dry with the hygiene kit.
Daily use on top of routine brushing in the confined habitat.
Continued on the surface, where dental help is equally unavailable.
Used and stored products provide stability and microbiome data.
Design
Four decisions that shape it.
Balanced oral community
Ingredients selected to support beneficial oral bacteria.
Dry lozenge
Stable without refrigeration and easy to take on the move.
Low-foam paste
Formulated for use without a sink and for safe swallowing.
Preventive focus
Aimed at reducing risk of problems rather than treating them.
Risks
What could go wrong, and what we do about it.
| Risk | How we address it |
|---|---|
| Swallowing and foam | Low-foam paste designed for use without a sink. |
| Strain safety | Whole-genome safety screening of any live component. |
| Stability of live components | Dry formats and storage studies for any probiotic ingredient. |
Test plan
Ground, analog, orbit.
A staged programme: ground first, then analog crews, then flight.
Ground testing
Stability studies and oral-model work.
Isolated-crew studies
Use studies in analog settings.
Flight testing
Passive payload on a station.
Partnerships
Dental researchers and space-medicine groups.
Questions
FAQ.
Why does mouth health matter on a mission?
Because dental emergencies cannot be treated in flight.
Is it a toothpaste replacement?
It is a concept to complement oral hygiene, not a medical treatment.
Related
Works well with.
SpaceBiotic Spore Capsule
A room-temperature probiotic built on bacterial spores.
In developmentRead more02Rinse-Free Microbiome Skin Care
Wipes and creams that support skin microbes when showering is not possible.
ConceptRead more03Women's Urogenital Health Probiotic
A probiotic for women's urinary and vaginal health, an area with very little spaceflight research.
Research programmeRead moreAll products on this site are under research and development. They are not approved or cleared by any regulator and are not available for sale. Nothing here is medical advice, and no product is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Descriptions of research refer to published studies by other groups and do not claim that our products have been proven in space. Oral Microbiome Care is a product under research and development and is not available for sale.
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