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Forty strains of bacteria which may be isolated from subgingival plaque were tested for their in vitro susceptibility to several amine fluorides and a commercial formulation (Elmex gel) containing these compounds. The amine fluorides were active against a wide range of plaque bacteria with gram-positive strains tending to be more sensitive than gram-negatives. The minimum inhibitory concentrations ranged from 45 to 1440 micrograms/ml with approximately half of the strains being inhibited at a concentration of 130 micrograms/ml of amine fluoride. The Elmex gel had a bactericidal effect on all of the strains tested and exhibited a rapid killing action at high dilutions. These in vitro findings suggest that amine fluorides may be useful in the treatment or prophylaxis of plaque-related diseases.