aMMP-8, the enzyme being tested by OralFitnessCheck, cleaves local collagen in response to challenges caused by bacteria.

It is a normal body defense response to injury, infection, or tissue turnover. When the concentration of aMMP-8 is higher than the average tissue turnover amount, an Oral Fitness Score above 10 means the body is responding to a bacterial challenge. The increased amount of active MMP-8 is because more work is being done to react to the bacterial challenge.

The aMMP-8 process: neutrophils release aMMP-8 to cut a pathway through the tissue, allowing immune cells to attack the pathogenic bacteria.

Once activated, the aMMP-8 enzyme spills into the gingival sulcus fluid during this cleaving process. This fluid is then picked up in the mouth rinse collected with the OralFitnessCheck.

The “a” in aMMP-8 means we are testing the “active” (breakdown going on right now) form of the biomarker. Testing the non-active form of MMP-8 is possible but not as accurate, nor does it provide sufficient information about what is occurring.