A need remains for safe and effective, prophylactic and therapeutic treatments for controlling bacterial populations in dental plaque and treating periodontal disease. We have developed derivatives of natural biopolymers that have demonstrable effectiveness in clumping a wide spectrum of bacteria and preventing the adhesion of biofilms. The technological innovation lies in enhancing the innate interactive properties of these molecules and developing means to create a very low dose, sustained preventative effect and treatment to reduce the occurrence of oral disease by disrupting bacterial adhesion and cohesion. The objective of this application is to explore the use of these newly synthesized soluble chitosan derivatives of various size and charge to prevent bacterial colonization via aggregation of free bacteria and to treat oral biofilms by reducing plaque cohesion and adhesion. Once the specific interactions between chitosan derivatives and oral pathogens, plaque, and plaque formation are understood, we can knowledgably develop product formulations that minimize the titer of oral pathogens, both free and in biofilms. This proposal specifically addresses the development of an oral rinse product to prevent and treat dental disease encompassing broad treatment applications including caries, periodontitis and pulpitis. Our novel agents interfere with microbial colonization and growth and are the basis of this proposal. This study will explore the use of newly synthesized soluble chitosan derivatives as agents to treat and prevent oral biofilms (dental plaque) with minimal affects on natural oral flora by aggregation of oral bacteria, erosion of plaque and prevention of adhesion of bacteria to plaque and oral surfaces. Longer term products will include treatments to reduce the bacterial populations in infected or diseased states via different dosing or treatment regimes. Given the biocompatibility, biodegradability and limited mechanism to resistance for this clumping mechanism, the applications these chitosan derivatives are expected to be far reaching. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This proposal examines the use of biopolymer derivatives that have demonstrable effectiveness in clumping a wide spectrum of bacteria and preventing the adhesion of biofilms for use in controlling oral biofilms. These products will provide low dose, highly effective, biocompatible, sustained preventative effect and treatment to reduce the occurrence of oral disease by disrupting bacterial adhesion and cohesion.