You’ve probably heard of the gut microbiome but have you heard of the oral microbiome?
If you think about it, your oral cavity is actually part of your digestive system and, like your gut, has a rich microbial ecology. Also, like your gut, the balance of beneficial bacteria and harmful bacteria in your mouth impacts your health.
A substantial body of research shows that probiotics can help improve your digestive health. Does research support similar effects for probiotics and oral health?
Relatively smaller than in gut but significant number of trials have been conducted that supports the growing evidence for the role of probiotics in oral health. These trials prove the following benefits of probiotics in oral health:
- Reduces dental plaque and gingival inflammation
- Helpful for the treatment of apthous ulceration and chronic periodontitis
Probiotics to Prevent Cavities in Children
Tooth decay (dental caries) is a common condition found in children in which there damage to the tooth can happen when decay-causing bacteria in mouth make acids that attack the tooth’s surface, or enamel. This can lead to a small hole in a tooth, called cavity. If tooth decay is not treated, it can cause pain, infection and even tooth loss.
Oral health is a largely neglected area with dental caries widely prevalent across all age groups, more so in children with their fondness for confectionary.
In a study conducted with 150 children having dental caries showed that there is significant reduction of salivary mutans streptococci( bacteria causing tooth decay) count when they were given 150 million CFU/day of Bacillus coagulans SNZ 1969 for 14 days.1
In another study conducted on 33 children between the age group of 12-15 yr old, there was a significant reduction in the gingival status and plaque inhibition after administration of sporlac ( Bacillus coagulans SNZ 1969) 30 ml powder with water, which was swished once daily for 3 min for a period of 3 weeks.2/<sup?
Probiotics Reduces Dental Plaque and Gingival Inflammation
Dental plaque is a sticky bacterial mass that grows as a biofilm on the surface of your teeth. Dental plaque is one of the main causes of tooth decay and gum disease. Disrupting the buildup of dental plaque is important for preventing oral diseases like gingivitis and periodontitis (gum infection).
An Indian trial was conducted with 45 adult subjects suffering from chronic gingivitis (inflammation of gums). The trial results showed that treatment with Sporlac Plus (a product of Sanzyme Ltd. containing spores of Bacillus coagulans SNZ 1969), chlorhexidine mouthwash and normal saline water was effective in reducing plaque accumulation and gingival inflammation.3
Probiotics for Treatment of Moderate to Severe Gum Disease
In one of the direct studies on probiotics which was conducted with 50 adults suffering from apthous stomatitis and glossitis (oral ulcers) were given 120 million CFU per day of Sporlac (probiotic product containing spores Bacillus coagulans SNZ 1969) with vitamin B complex for 5 days thrice a day. The results showed that combination of Bacillus coagulans SNZ 1969 spores (Sporlac) with Vit B complex cured 43 of 50 patients(83%) followed by Sporlac alone and finally Vit B12 alone treatment.4
Conclusion
There appears to be a growing body of evidence that probiotic administration may impact several indicators of oral health: dental caries, gingivitis and periodontitis. With an increasing global problem of antibiotic resistance, probiotics contributing to preventing the effective treatment of microbial disease, by virtue of their natural therapy appear to be a novel approach for dental hygiene.
Bacillus coagulans SNZ 1969 is a spore forming probiotic strain, it is shelf stable and comes with a shelf life of 36 months. Thanks to the nature for providing it an outer coating which makes it resilient and versatile in terms of application. Such a nature of Bacillus coagulans SNZ1969 provides functional food, supplements, and personal care product formulators an immense opportunity to innovate and position products in the marketplace. Additionally, they endure GI track conditions better and less prone to ingredient interactions in a formulation as compared to traditional vegetative strains. It can be easily incorporated in toothpastes, mouth washes, lozenges, tablets, gums, candies etc. Hence, Bacillus coagulans SNZ1969 can help manage overall oral health effectively and safely through a wide variety of delivery forms.
References:
1. Jindal G et al., European Archives of Paediatric Dentistry 2011; 12: Issue 4
2. Contemp Clin Dent 2017; 8: 116-21.
3. Clinical trial of Sporlac in the treatment of recurrent Apthous Ulceration,U.P. State Dental Journal Vol.11, January 1980, 7-12
4. Jindal G et al., European Archives of Paediatric Dentistry 2011; 12: Issue 4