Annually untreated dental caries in permanent teeth is the most prevalent condition worldwide, affecting 2.4 billion people. Streptococcus mutans is known to be one of the principal causative agents, in large, due to its ability to form biofilms at the tooth surface. Discovery of effective antimicrobial agent(s) to treat or prevent dental caries is thus a globally important concern. Bacteriophages (phages) are promising antibacterial agents that could be used to prevent or treat caries formation by S. mutans. In addition, Nisin, one of the most studied and widely used bacteriocins has been shown to be effective against this pathogen.
In this study we effectively created a therapeutic cocktail of an S. mutans bacteriophage (APCM01, isolated from saliva) and Nisaplin (a commercially available nisin containing antimicrobial product used in a wide range of foods) that inhibited S. mutans growth, in both planktonic and biofilm states. While both antimicrobials were found to be effective alone, an enhanced bactericidal effect was witnessed when the antimicrobials were combined. Not only are these antimicrobials highly effective against S. mutans, they offer a safe and natural means to protect against and treat bacterial disease. Thus making phages and nisin in oral hygiene an attractive, practical and attainable contribution to addressing the global issue of dental caries.