Effects of Probiotics on Oral Health

Some probiotics have been shown to have preventive effects on infectious diseases and allergies. Because their long-term enhancement of the immune responses of children, they have been recommended for infants in some countries. The most promising ones seem to be the combination of Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG. Probiotic microbes are mainly ingested orally and the gastrointestinal tract is thus the primary target organ for them. However, the mouth is the first part of the gastrointestinal tract. Most probiotics are in theory cariogenic, thus their effects on oral health should be known. Several probiotics decrease levels of salivary mutans streptococci (MS), but in other respects very little is known about their effects on the oral microbiota. Also effects of probiotics on dental plaque should be studied. This study aims to find out the effects of the combination of BB-12 and LGG, delivered with a lozenge (4 weeks, twice a day) with a mixture of them on the amount of plaque and gingival health