The prevention of dental caries by BLIS-mediated inhibition of mutans streptococci.

Many of the strategies that have been formulated to decrease the incidence of dental caries have focused upon attempting to reduce either the numbers or the acidogenic activities in dental plaque of the mutans streptococci. In recent years there has been a growing interest in a new method of caries control which depends upon exploiting the ability of certain bacteria to produce antibiotics called bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances (BLIS) with killing activity for mutans streptococci. The approaches under investigation include either the regular oral administration of the purified BLIS or the genetic modification of existing plaque bacteria such that they produce the antimutans BLIS in situ.