with an incidence of 68.6% and 74.1%, respectively. Streptococcus sanguinis, closely related to S. mutans and also found in the oral cavity, has been shown to cause Infective Endocarditis. Streptococcus mutans has been associated with bacteraemia and infective endocarditis (IE). IE is divided into acute and subacute forms, and the bacterium is isolated in subacute cases. The common symptoms are: fever, chills, sweats, anorexia, weight loss, and malaise. S. mutans has been classified into four serotypes; c, e, f, and k. The classification of the serotypes is devised from the chemical composition of the serotype-specific rhamnose-glucose polymers. For example, serotype k initially found in blood isolates has a large reduction of glucose side chains attached to the rhamnose backbone. S. mutans has the following surface protein antigens: glucosyltransferases, protein antigen and glucan-binding proteins. If these surface protein antigens are not present, then the bacteria is a protein antigen-defective mutant with the least susceptibility to phagocytosis therefore causing the least harm to cells. Furthermore, rat experiments showed that infection with such defective streptococcus mutants (S. mutans strains without glucosyltransferases isolated from a destroyed heart valve of an infective endocarditis patient) resulted in a longer duration of bacteraemia. The results demonstrate that the virulence of infective endocarditis caused by S. mutans is linked to the specific cell surface components present. In addition, S. mutans DNA has been found in cardiovascular specimens at a higher ratio than other periodontal bacteria. This highlights its possible involvement in a variety of types of cardiovascular diseases, not just confined to bacteraemia and infective endocarditis. Prevention and treatment Practice of good oral hygiene including daily brushing, flossing and the use of appropriate mouthwash can significantly reduce the number of oral bacteria, including S. mutans and inhibit their proliferation. S. mutans often live in dental plaque, hence mechanical removal of plaque is an effective way of getting rid of them. The best toothbrushing technique to reduce plaque build up, decreasing caries risk, is the modified Bass technique. Brushing twice daily can help decrease the caries risk. However, there are some remedies used in the treatment of oral bacterial infection, in conjunction with mechanical cleaning. These include fluoride, which has a direct inhibitory effect on the enolase enzyme, as well as chlorhexidine, which works presumably by interfering with bacterial adherence. Furthermore, fluoride ions can be detrimental to bacterial cell metabolism. Fluoride directly inhibits glycolytic enzymes and H+ATPases. Fluoride ions