Probiotics in Prevention of Dental Caries - A Literature Review

Abstract

Dental caries is a microbial disease induced by oral biofilm containing Streptococcus mutans, leading to destruction of tooth structure. With better understanding of the Ecology and microbiology of the oral cavity and with the advent of Minimal Invasive Dentistry, there has been a shift in the treatment modalities of caries. Recently probiotics have been used extensively to promote a healthy oral flora. This review article aims to promote a better understanding of the probiotic strains, their mechanism of action and the various modes of delivery available. An electronic search was also performed using databases such as Google scholar, PubMed, Science direct and Scopus. Comparisons of different searches were carried out to delete the repeated studies. The articles published in any language other than English were excluded. Several studies proved that Probiotics can influence the caries balance locally through a direct contact with oral tissues and systemically through the gastrointestinal tract. Most of the probiotic strains currently available have been proved safe and promote both general and oral health. There are limited clinical trials with widely different study designs and target population. Also there is lack of evidence, regarding sustainability of the effect of Probiotics.