Effect of Short-term Consumption of Amul Probiotic Yogurt Containing Lactobacillus acidophilus La5 and Bifidobacterium Lactis Bb12 on Salivary Streptococcus mutans Count in High Caries Risk Individuals

Short-term use of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus SD11 and the oral microbiome: Low caries RCT study

OBJECTIVES

The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of short-term lozenges containing Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus SD11 on cariogenic pathogens and on oral microbiota.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This double-blind, randomized, controlled trial included 121 subjects and was randomly divided into the control and probiotic group. All subjects were blindly administered to receive the control- or probiotic L. rhamnosus SD11 lozenges every day for 4 weeks and then followed up for another 4 weeks.

RESULTS

After probiotic consumption, the probiotic group had significantly lower levels of Streptococcus mutans and significantly higher levels of total lactobacilli at 4 and 8 weeks compared with the baseline. The 16S rRNA sequencing revealed an increase in bacterial diversity and beneficial bacteria in the Firmicutes phylum, Bacilli class, and a reduction in the mutans streptococci group in the probiotic group. The opposite results were found in the control group. This study did not find any caries increment, nor did the subjects have any side effects after product consumption.

CONCLUSION

With the limitation of a short-time study in low caries children, it showed that L. rhamnosus SD11 could increase beneficial bacteria in the Firmicutes phylum and Bacilli class that might support good oral health in children.

Clinical effects of Bifidobacterium as a probiotic on oral health: A systematic review

Background

The burden of oral diseases is increasing, which constitute a major public health problem. The use of probiotics as an adjuvant, along with routine dental care practice by an individual, can produce additional benefits in the maintenance of one's oral health. The study aimed to investigate the effect of Bifidobacterium as a probiotic on oral health.

Material and Methods

Six databases and registers were searched from the start of the database to December 2021 without any restrictions. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the clinical effects of Bifidobacterium as a probiotic on oral health were included in the study. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed to conduct this systematic review. The included studies were analyzed for the risk of bias using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trial (RoB 2) tool as well as quality of available evidence using GRADE criteria.

Results

From the 22 qualified studies, four studies showed non-significant results. There was a high risk of bias in 13 studies and some concerns of bias in nine studies. No adverse effects were reported, and the quality of available evidence was moderate.

Conclusion

The effect of Bifidobacterium on oral health is questionable. Further high-quality RCTs are required on the clinical effects of bifidobacteria and also the optimum level of probiotic needed, and ideal mode of administration to provide oral health benefits. Furthermore, synergistic effects of the combined use of various strains of probiotics need to be studied.

Streptococcus mutans levels in patients who received orthodontic brackets bonded using probiotic impregnated resin composite - a randomized clinical trial

To evaluate the effect of impregnating an orthodontic resin composite with probiotic bacteria (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG) on the levels of Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment. Thirty patients were randomly selected and allotted by block randomization to two groups: an experimental group, who received brackets bonded with probiotic impregnated resin composite and a control group, who received brackets bonded with conventional light cure resin composite. Plaque samples were collected before (ET0 and CT0) and two months (ET1 and CT1) after bonding. Levels of S. mutans were assessed using the colony count method. Two months after bonding of the brackets, the S. mutans levels had decreased with statistical significance in the experimental group (p = 0.001), but not in the control group (p = 0.137). Impregnation of resin composite with probiotic bacteria for the purpose of preventing formation of white spot lesions on enamel holds promise. Long-term evaluation would be necessary to provide confirmatory results.

A comprehensive review of the application of probiotics and postbiotics in oral health

Oral diseases are among the most common diseases around the world that people usually suffer from during their lifetime. Tooth decay is a multifactorial disease, and the composition of oral microbiota is a critical factor in its development. Also, Streptococcus mutans is considered the most important caries-causing species. It is expected that probiotics, as they adjust the intestinal microbiota and reduce the number of pathogenic bacteria in the human intestine, can exert their health-giving effects, especially the anti-pathogenic effect, in the oral cavity, which is part of the human gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, numerous in vitro and in vivo studies have been conducted on the role of probiotics in the prevention of tooth decay. In this review, while investigating the effect of different strains of probiotics Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria on oral diseases, including dental caries, candida yeast infections, periodontal diseases, and halitosis, we have also discussed postbiotics as novel non-living biological compounds derived from probiotics.

Fortification of milk-based yogurt with protein hydrolysates from brewers' spent grain: Evaluation on microstructural properties, lactic acid bacteria profile, lactic acid forming capability and its physical behavior

Current study aimed to evaluate the utilization of protein from brewers' spent grain (BSGP) on microstructural formation as well as rheological behavior, acidity and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) profile during the refrigerated storage. Three different BSGPs were provided including BSGP-C (extracted without enzymatic hydrolysis), BSGP-P (with protease), and BSGP-PF (with protease co-incubated with flavourzyme). The results demonstrated that BSGPs improved lactic acid forming capability in yogurt production to a higher level than milk-protein based enrichment. BSGPs improved the growth and survival of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), particularly BSGP-P in improving the survival rate of L. bulgaricus. Confocal laser scanning microscopy showed that BSGP-P generated a denser, softer and more homogenous surface appearance as well as showed the tendency to form more compact networks; had a weaker initial gel forming, increased and preserved the consistency of the yogurt during the storage. In conclusion, BSGPs in yogurt improved and preserved the textural properties, consistency, acidity and lactic acid bacteria.

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Protease-extracted preserve the flow behavior of yogurt

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Protease-extracted soften the microstructural surface of the matrices

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BSG protein-rich extracts improve the survival of lactic acid bacteria

Prebiotics—A Primeval Measure to Combat Dental Caries: A Short-term Clinical Study

Background

Prevention of dental caries is paramount in reducing the global burden of the disease. The consumption of probiotics as a prophylactic and therapeutic agent for dental caries, has certain limitations. Prebiotics are nondigestible food ingredients, that enhance the growth and activity of probiotic microorganism, thereby help in the establishment of a healthy oral environment.

Aim

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the effect of prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics on the salivary Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) counts and salivary IgA concentrations.

Methodology

Children of age-group 6–9 years with DMFT score of 5 and above were divided into three groups of 10 each: Group 1 (prebiotics), Group 2 (probiotics), and Group 3 (synbiotics). The functional food therapy was done for a period of 1 month twice daily. The S. mutans count and IgA concentrations were assessed pre- and postintervention. The obtained results were subjected to statistical analysis.

Results

A statistically significant reduction of S. mutans was seen in all three groups after 1 month. However, no statistically significant difference was noted between the groups.

Conclusion

Prebitoics can serve as an unfortified and natural means of combating dental caries.

How to cite this article

Konde S, Ravindran S, Agarwal M, et al. Prebiotics—A Primeval Measure to Combat Dental Caries: A Short-term Clinical Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2022;15(S-2):S234–S238.

Comparison of Antibacterial Effect of Probiotic Yogurt and Xylitol-Containing Chewing Gum in Geriatric Patients: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Objectives

To evaluate the effect of probiotic bacteria in yogurt on Streptococcus mutans (MS) count, plaque adherence and salivary pH compared to xylitol-containing chewing gum in geriatric patients.

Materials and methods

Total number of 96 high caries risk geriatric patients were randomized into two equal groups (n=48). Group 1 (intervention group) received probiotic yogurt (Activia, Danone) once per day, and group 2 (control group) received xylitol chewing gum (Trident original) three times per day. The primary outcome was salivary Streptococcus mutans count and secondary outcomes were interdental plaque Streptococcus mutans count, salivary pH and bacterial adherence.

Results

For Streptococcus mutans count in saliva and plaque, a statistically significant reduction in the level of MS over all the examined follow up periods of the study in probiotic yogurt group as well as xylitol gum group was found. An intergroup comparison for salivary MS count showed statistically significant difference between the two materials in a two week and a three month period of time and there was no statistically significant difference between both materials at one month time period. Salivary pH results showed statistically significant increase in pH in both groups along the follow-up periods. Bacterial adherence results showed statistically significant reduction in both groups.

Conclusions

Probiotic yogurt is an effective antibacterial agent against salivary and plaque bacteria in geriatric patients.

Effectiveness and safety of Bifidobacterium in preventing dental caries: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

The effectiveness and safety of Bifidobacterium in dental caries prevention are controversial. Thus, we performed this systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the preventive value of Bifidobacterium.

METHODS

Eligible studies were identified from several databases, including PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus. Hand searches were also conducted in relevant bibliographies. We then extracted and pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) and risk ratio (RR) to analyze the anti-caries effect of Bifidobacterium with Stata 16.0 software. If the data obtained was not suitable for meta-analysis, qualitative descriptions were performed.

RESULTS

Compared with the placebo control group, there was no statistically significant reduction in Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacilli counts in saliva in the test group. Also, there were no significant differences in Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus counts in dental plaque and no significant difference in caries incidence in deciduous teeth. There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse events between the Bifidobacterium and control groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Available evidence demonstrates that Bifidobacterium is neither effective in reducing Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus counts in the saliva or dental plaque nor in reducing the occurrence of caries in deciduous teeth. Evaluation of its safety requires further investigations. Therefore, Bifidobacterium is not a competent probiotic candidate to prevent dental caries.

Probiotics in the dairy industry-Advances and opportunities

The past two decades have witnessed a global surge in the application of probiotics as functional ingredients in food, animal feed, and pharmaceutical products. Among food industries, the dairy industry is the largest sector where probiotics are employed in a number of dairy products including sour/fermented milk, yogurt, cheese, butter/cream, ice cream, and infant formula. These probiotics are either used as starter culture alone or in combination with traditional starters, or incorporated into dairy products following fermentation, where their presence imparts many functional characteristics to the product (for instance, improved aroma, taste, and textural characteristics), in addition to conferring many health-promoting properties. However, there are still many challenges related to the stability and functionality of probiotics in dairy products. This review highlights the advances, opportunities, and challenges of application of probiotics in dairy industries. Benefits imparted by probiotics to dairy products including their role in physicochemical characteristics and nutritional properties (clinical and functional perspective) are also discussed. We transcend the traditional concept of the application of probiotics in dairy products and discuss paraprobiotics and postbiotics as a newly emerged concept in the field of probiotics in a particular relation to the dairy industry. Some potential applications of paraprobiotics and postbiotics in dairy products as functional ingredients for the development of functional dairy products with health-promoting properties are briefly elucidated.

Comparative evaluation of different probiotic products on salivary Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus level in caries risk population

Introduction

Dental caries is a multifactorial disease with the main causative organism being Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus spp. "Probiotics" are defined as living microorganisms, principally bacteria, which are safe for human consumption and when ingested in sufficient quantities, have beneficial effects on human health, beyond basic nutrition. These can be used to replace the pathogenic strains of bacteria with the nonpathogenic type in the oral cavity thus can help prevent dental caries.

Aims

To evaluate and compare the role of probiotic milk and lozenges on S. mutans and Lactobacillus spp. count on patients who are exposed to probiotics continuously for 7 days.

Materials and Methods

Sixty volunteers who were prone to caries were divided into three equal groups. Experimental groups were given probiotics daily for 7 days. In Group A, patients were given milk without any probiotics (control); in Group B, probiotic milk is given; and in Group C, probiotic lozenges are given. Saliva samples were assessed on the 1^st day and after 7 days of intervention. The collected saliva samples were inoculated on the selected culture media and estimation was done by measuring the colony-forming unit.

Statistical Analysis Used

Statistical analysis was performed using Student's paired t-test and multiple comparisons by Tukey's honest significant difference test.

Results

There was a significant reduction in salivary S. mutans level in both experimental groups after 7 days (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in Lactobacillus count before and after the intervention.

Conclusions

Probiotics have a role in reducing salivary S. mutans count. Probiotics lozenges showed greater efficacy in reducing salivary S. mutans count than probiotic milk.

The nutrient requirements of Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 and their application to fermented milk

Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 is a suitable probiotic for food application, but because of its slow growth in milk, an increase in its efficiency is desired. To shorten the time required for fermentation, the nutrient requirements of L. acidophilus LA-5 were analyzed, including the patterns of consumption of amino acids, purines, pyrimidines, vitamins, and metal ions. The nutrients required by L. acidophilus LA-5 were Asn, Asp, Cys, Leu, Met, riboflavin, guanine, uracil, and Mn²⁺, and when they were added to milk, the fermentation time of fermented milk prepared by L. acidophilus LA-5 alone was shortened by 9 h, with high viable cell counts that were maintained during storage of nutrient-supplemented fermented milk compared with the control. For fermented milk prepared by fermentation with Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus, and L. acidophilus LA-5, viable cell counts of L. acidophilus LA-5 increased 1.3-fold and were maintained during storage of nutrient-supplemented fermented milk compared with the control. Adding nutrients had no negative effect on the quality of the fermented milk. The results indicated that suitable nutrients enhanced the growth of L. acidophilus LA-5 and increased its viable cell counts in fermented milk prepared by L. acidophilus LA-5 alone and mixed starter culture, respectively.

The effect of commercial functional food with probiotics on microorganisms from early carious lesions

Caries rates in school-age children are still high enough to be the cause of serious concern for health systems in different countries. The biotechnology strategies studied to decrease these rates include the consumption of probiotics—available via a variety of functional foods obtainable on the market—that are able to inhibit bacteria associated with this disease. In this vein, the purpose of this study was to determine the effect of these foods on the growth of microorganisms in early carious lesions in children aged between 6 and 12. In the first phase, an agar well diffusion method was applied to selected foods, available in supermarkets, which contain probiotics that have already been shown to inhibit Streptococcusmutans (ATCC 25175), and to lower the pH in liquid culture media. In a second phase, these foods (n = 4) were examined in terms of their ability to inhibit the microorganisms in contact with early carious lesions in children and to reduce the pH of mixed cultures combined with the food. The results revealed that, of the foods tested, three inhibit the growth of microorganisms in carious lesions and, at the same time, lower the pH of the culture by more than 2.5 units. The food with the highest inhibitory capacity (14 mm, IQR 13–14) showed a similar effect among patients (P > 0.05), which together with the fact that its sugar concentration is less than 10%, makes it an ideal candidate for clinical study.

Perception of Dental and Medical Teaching Faculty Regarding Mobile Dental Application

Context:

Mobile dental applications

Aims:

The aim of this study was to assess the attitude and awareness about use of mobile dental apps among the dental and medical teaching faculty of Ghaziabad district.

Settings and Design:

Cross-sectional questionnaire survey

Materials and Methods:

All the teaching faculty of ITS Dental College were included in the survey and were provided with the questionnaire containing three components pertaining to demographic details, prevalence, and perception regarding ideal mobile dental apps. Data were collected through Google forms and were assessed on a 5-point Likert scale.

Statistical analysis:

Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics. For the normality of data, Kolmogorov–Smirnov test was performed, questionnaire was checked for validity and reliability using Cronbach’s α analysis, and interclass correlation coefficient and chi-squared analysis were used to assess the relationship between the dental and medical teaching faculty and questionnaire response. The data were analyzed by using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 23 (IBM, Armonk, New York, USA).

Results:

An intraclass correlation between the study subjects and significant association was found, which was interpretative of strong correlation among the participants (ICC = 0.273, P = 0.042). The chi-squared test also revealed a significant association for most of the responses (P = 0.00), except for the fact that “dental apps are essential tools.” Nearly 89% of the participants were using smartphones and 75% of the faculty cited as portability of mobile dental apps as the biggest advantage.

Conclusion:

The findings from the study reflected academic and technological platform for using handheld devices in clinical medical and dental setting. The ergonomics of recent handheld devices gives more comfort and portability to the users as compared to the standard operating system such as personal computers and desktop, which gives the mobile dental/medical apps an edge over them that can be used for prospective clinical settings.

Inhibitory and preventive effects of Lactobacillus plantarum FB-T9 on dental caries in rats

Streptococcus mutans is recognized as the main cause of dental caries, and the formation of a plaque biofilm is required for caries development. This study aimed to determine the inhibitory effect of Lactobacillus plantarum FB-T9 on S. mutans biofilm formation in vitro and on the prevention and treatment of dental caries in rats. During in vitro experiments, FB-T9 exhibited good bacteriostatic ability in a plate competition assay. This strain also significantly reduced the biomass and viability of S. mutans biofilms and induced structural damage during the early (6 h), middle (12 h) and late (24 h) stages of biofilm formation. In a 70-day in vivo experiment, FB-T9 significantly reduced the levels of S. mutans on the dental surfaces of rats by more than 2 orders of magnitude of the levels in the dental caries model group (p < 0.05). Moreover, FB-T9 significantly reduced the caries scores (modified Keyes scoring method) in both the prevention and treatment groups (p < 0.05) and had great colonization potential in the oral cavity. These results indicate the potential usefulness of L. plantarum FB-T9 as a probiotic for the prevention and treatment of caries.

Annual review of selected scientific literature: A report of the Committee on Scientific Investigation of the American Academy of Restorative Dentistry

This comprehensive review of the 2018 dental literature is provided to inform busy dentists about progress in the profession. Developed by the Committee on Scientific Investigation of the American Academy of Restorative Dentistry, each author brings discipline-specific expertise to one of the 8 sections of the report including (1) prosthodontics; (2) periodontics, alveolar bone, and peri-implant tissues; (3) implant dentistry; (4) dental materials and therapeutics; (5) occlusion and temporomandibular disorders; (6) sleep-related breathing disorders; (7) oral medicine and oral and maxillofacial surgery; and (8) dental caries and cariology. The report targets important information that will likely influence day-to-day treatment decisions. Each review is not intended to stand alone but to update interested readers so that they may visit source materials if greater detail is desired. As the profession continues its march toward evidence-based clinical decision-making, an already voluminous library of potentially valuable dental literature continues to grow. It is the intention of this review and its authors to provide assistance in navigating the extensive dental literature published in 2018. It is our hope that readers find this work useful in the clinical management of patients moving forward.

Adhesion mechanisms mediated by probiotics and prebiotics and their potential impact on human health

Adhesion ability to the host is a classical selection criterion for potential probiotic bacteria that could result in a transient colonisation that would help to promote immunomodulatory effects, as well as stimulate gut barrier and metabolic functions. In addition, probiotic bacteria have a potential protective role against enteropathogens through different mechanisms including production of antimicrobial compounds, reduction of pathogenic bacterial adhesion and competition for host cell binding sites. The competitive exclusion by probiotic bacteria has a beneficial effect not only on the gut but also in the urogenital tract and oral cavity. On the other hand, prebiotics may also act as barriers to pathogens and toxins by preventing their adhesion to epithelial receptors. In vitro studies with different intestinal cell lines have been widely used along the last decades to assess the adherence ability of probiotic bacteria and pathogen antagonism. However, extrapolation of these results to in vivo conditions still remains unclear, leading to the need of optimisation of more complex in vitro approaches that include interaction with the resident microbiota to address the current limitations. The aim of this mini review is to provide a comprehensive overview on the potential effect of the adhesive properties of probiotics and prebiotics on the host by focusing on the most recent findings related with adhesion and immunomodulatory and antipathogenic effect on human health.

The Impact of Gluten Friendly Flour on the Functionality of an Active Drink: Viability of Lactobacillus acidophilus in a Fermented Milk

The Gluten Friendly^TM Technology is an innovative method that induces structural changes in gluten proteins. In this paper a synbiotic fermented milk, containing Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5 and Gluten Friendly Flour (GFF), was proposed. A mixture design was used to combine flour, temperature and probiotic to study the effects of these variables on the acidification. The experiments were done on both GFF and control flour (CF). Thus, the following conditions were chosen to produce the fermented milk: L. acidophilus at 6.5 log cfu/ml; flour at 2.5 g/l; temperature at 37°C. Then, the fermented milk was produced and stored at 4°C for 90 days. The most important result was the positive effect of GFF on the viability of the probiotic, with a prolongation of the shoulder length to 20 days (12–13 days in the control). Moreover, GFF did not act on the sensory scores and on the physico-chemical parameters.