Neutralising the harmful effects of dental biofilms by bacterial replacement therapy

Dental caries is a widespread oral disease that is costly for health services to treat, and causes pain and loss of

teeth to those affected. It is caused by production of acid by oral bacteria in biofilms on the teeth and gums

commonly known as dental plaque. Brushing teeth can reduce this problem, but many people do not do so

regularly or thoroughly. This project will investigate the application of bacterial replacement therapy in the

form of a lozenge containing a suitable probiotic strain to help develop an anti-caries environment within the

dental plaque biofilm. The project will combine the strengths of two UK SMEs, a world class culture collection

centre and a leading probiotics manufacturer. The project will investigate strains held within the NCIMB culture

collection for their potential to create novel biofilms to combat dental caries..