Severe gum disease known as periodontitis can lead to tooth loss, and treating it remains a challenge. But new approaches involving silicon nitride, a ceramic material used in spinal implants, could be on the way. The surface of silicon nitride has a lethal effect on the bacteria that commonly cause periodontitis. Now scientists, reporting in ACS’ journal Langmuir, are examining why this happens. Their findings could help inform future efforts to treat the disease.

About half of American adults have some form of gum disease. It’s caused by bacteria that infect the tissue around teeth, resulting in gum inflammation. If