Probiotic Proves Effective in Periodontitis

An oral health-friendly microbe is showing promise as an adjunct to fight periodontal diseases. The microorganism, probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri (Prodentis), produced consistently lower probing pocket depths and clinical attachment levels among test subjects who had chronic periodontitis in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Reportedly, L. reuteri is also the first probiotic to significantly reduce Aggregibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella intermedia, three specific pathogens associated with chronic periodontitis. L. reuteri is also confirmed in the study as an anti-inflammatory agent for gingivitis.

Results of the clinical trial were reported in an article that appears in the volume 2, 2010 Journal of Microbiology titled, “Effect of the probiotic Lactobacilli reuteri (Prodentis) in the management of periodontal disease: a preliminary randomized clinical trial.”

The 42-day trial included scaling and root planing performed on study subjects the first day of testing. At day 21, subjects began taking either L. reuteri Prodentis lozenges or placebo lozenges twice daily.

At the conclusion of testing an analysis of plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI) and gingival bleeding index (GBI) all indicated treatment that combined Prodentis with scaling and root planing outperformed the results of Prodentis alone or scaling and root planing alone. Rankings in the study for PI, GI and GBI also demonstrated treatment with Prodentis alone was superior to scaling and root planing alone.

Researchers reported they observed a significant reduction in gingival bleeding by subjects who received only the Prodentis treatment compared to subjects who received only scaling and root planing.

Use of L. reuteri probiotic may become particularly valuable among patients who have periodontitis but for whom scaling and root planing are contraindicated. The authors of the study point out L. reuteri Prodentis may be used in the maintenance phase of periodontal treatment, as well as during non-surgical therapy.