Effect of a Locally Delivered Probiotic in Periodontitis

One method of altering the subgingival environment is by using probiotics. Probiotics are live microorganisms, which when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host by passively occupying a niche that may otherwise be colonized by pathogens. This tends to limit a pathogen's ability to bind to tissue surfaces and to produce virulence factors.8 In the past few years, probiotics have been investigated for periodontal health. Studies have shown that certain gut bacteria can exert beneficial effects in the oral cavity by inhibiting pathogenic species. Teughels et al., in a study showed that application of beneficial oral bacteria subgingivally after scaling and root planing led to a more host compatible subgingival microbiota which may also effect the promotion of a beneficial host response.10 Studies have revealed that probiotic Lactobacillus strains (L. reuteri, L salivarius, L. casei, L. acidophilus) were useful in reducing gingival inflammation and the number of black-pigmented rods, including Porphyromonas gingivalis, in the saliva and subgingival plaque. Streptococcus sanguinis & S. uberis were found to inhibit the growth of periodontopathogens & a strong negative between Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and S. sanguinis. Weissella cibaria isolates in the form of probiotic rinse possess the ability to inhibit biofilm formation, both in vitro and in vivo.

Inclusion criteria

• Subjects having at least one pocket ≥5 mm in each quadrant were included in the study.

Exclusion criteria

• Medically compromised patients and patients having received any form of surgical or non-surgical therapy in the 6 month period leading to the study were not included.