Influence of Probiotics on Clinical Parameters, the Oral Microbiome and the Immune System During an Orthodontic Treatment

Orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances can be necessary to correct malocclusions in adolescence or adulthood. It its known that orthodontic treatment induces aseptic pseudo-inflammatory reactions. However, studies could show that an increase of certain inflammatory cytokines during orthodontic treatment correlated with a higher risk of root resorption. Moreover, it has been shown that orthodontic treatment leads to a dysbiosis of the oral microbiome especially during the first 3 months of the orthodontic treatment. This could be a potential risk factor as the inflammation of periodontitis during an orthodontic treatment could favor root resorption and progressive destruction of the periodontal apparatus. Probiotics are already used successfully as an adjuvant therapy in the treatment of periodontitis to improve clinical parameters and to reduce local inflammation. However, there are only a few studies that investigated the influence of probiotics during an orthodontic treatment. Therefore, the aim of the study is to investigate if the daily intake of lozenges containing probiotics versus placebo lozenges during the first 3 months of orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances can improve clinical parameters, reduce local inflammation and prevent a dysbiosis of the oral microbiome.