Dental caries has troubled humans since ages and dentists have always tried to find a cure for it. But how cost effective are the various measures employed? Is there an Ayurvedic ingredient which can be used to bring down the oral microbial load, thus eliminating one of the key etiological agent in dental caries? Is the efficacy of the Ayurvedic ingredient comparable to that of the 'gold standard' Chlorhexidine? Triphala- a combination of 3 fruits was assessed for its antibacterial efficacy against oral streptococci and mutans streptococci in comparison with Chlorhexidine and a placebo.The antibacterial action of Triphala closely parallels that of Chlorhexidine. The adverse effects of long term chlorhexidine usage are not seen with Triphala. The cost effectiveness of Triphala makes it an ideal anti caries agent especially in developing countries!