The in vitro effects of amine fluorides on plaque bacteria.

Forty strains of bacteria which may be isolated from subgingival plaque were tested for their in vitro susceptibility to several amine fluorides and a commercial formulation (Elmex gel) containing these compounds. The amine fluorides were active against a wide range of plaque bacteria with gram-positive strains tending to be more sensitive than gram-negatives. The minimum inhibitory concentrations ranged from 45 to 1440 micrograms/ml with approximately half of the strains being inhibited at a concentration of 130 micrograms/ml of amine fluoride. The Elmex gel had a bactericidal effect on all of the strains tested and exhibited a rapid killing action at high dilutions. These in vitro findings suggest that amine fluorides may be useful in the treatment or prophylaxis of plaque-related diseases.