Imagine being told by your dentist to eat more candy. Sounds like a dream come true, but it may soon be a reality. The latest weapon against tooth decay could be cavity fighting confections.

KING

Brushing and flossing is the number one cavity fighting strategy, but in the future you may be able to chew away the germs that cause tooth decay.

"There are a number of foods that have this quality that are what we called anti-cariogenic," said William Vann, DDS, University of North Carolina.

Translation: They disrupt bacteria's effort to invade teeth.

"The claim can be made that there are foods that fight cavities," said Vann.

Scientists in Germany are harnessing some of those cavity fighting compounds found in the foods we eat. The latest: lactobacillus, a so-called friendly bacteria found in live yogurt. When added to chewing gum, researchers say it dramatically reduced the amount of cavity causing bacteria.

"Keep in mind a clean tooth doesn't get a cavity," said Vann.

Don't have a toothbrush nearby? Pop a piece of candy. Dental researchers at Stonybrook University are developing candy and other confections infused with CaviStat, a compound they say mimics the cavity fighting action of saliva and works better than fluoride. A study on the effectiveness of CaviStat was published in the November 2005 issue of the The Journal of Clinical Dentistry.

The cavity fighting confection is expected to make its debut as a soft mint called BasicMints. A prescription toothpaste is already in dentists offices. And yes, say dental experts, we'll still have to brush.

Many brands of chewing gum already contain the artificial sweetener Xzlitol, which prevents bacteria from sticking to teeth. The German company testing the good-bacterial based gum says toothpastes and mouthwashes are also in the pipeline.

Along with keeping teeth clean, scientists are testing lactobacillus as a deodorant. BASF Future Business GmbH, the German company the good bacteria, is working together with OrganoBalance GmbH to develop a line of personal care and oral hygiene products based on lactic acid bacteria.