RESUMO
Dental caries is perhaps the most common bacterial infections in humans and Streptococcus mutans is one of the most important factors in dental caries. Research has shown that some kind foods have an inhibitory effect on cariogenic factors of Mutans streptococci. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of date extract on growth of Streptococcus Mutans. This experimental study was done at faculty of medicine, Yasuj university of medical sciences with collaborative of microbiology department of Shiraz university of medical sciences in 2005. In an in-vitro study, effect of date extract on growth of Mutans Streptococci was surveyed .After collecting of Streptococcus Mutans from dental caries; those were cultured in different medium of date fruit, extract of date fruit and syrup of date with different concentrations. Following 24 hours, Streptococcus mutans was grown in less concentration of date mediums and its grown was inhibited in more concentrations. With respect of inhibitory effect of date extract on growth of Streptococcus mutans, it might be introduced that date as a source of food has a preventive effect on dental caries