Fluoride has long been used for the prevention and treatment of dental caries, and widespread use of fluoride is a key component to the decline of dental caries around the world [1]. The decline of dental caries can be considered as a major public health achievement, but the burden of the disease is still considerable within all age groups [2]. In the US Department of Health and Human Services' publication "National Call to Action to Promote Oral Health," dental caries is the single most common chronic childhood disease [3]. Building upon the momentum created by the US Surgeon Generals report, the first International Conference on Novel Anticaries and Remineralizing Agents (ICNARA 2008) was held to explore underutilized novel anticaries and remineralization agents for caries prevention and treatment [4]. The technologies that were highlighted included casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate, calcium sodium phosphosil-icate, xylitol, antimicrobial peptides, and probiotics [5-9].
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