Rol de los Probióticos como Bacterioterapia en Odontología. Revisión de la Literatura

Abstract

Abstract. According to WHO and FAO, probiotics are “live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host”. The aim of this paper is to describe the beneficial effects of probiotics on oral disease prevention. The search included the last five years in the Web of Science, PubMed and SciELO. Results showed that probiotics can produce antimicrobials, compete for cell adhesion sites, modulate the immune system and degrade toxins. This has led to dental studies that focus on reducing caries incidence, improving the prognosis of periodontitis and decreasing halitosis and candidiasis. Probiotics may be a valuable adjunct for the prevention of oral diseases. However, there are still doubts about which are the best bacterial strain, dose and timing of administration. Therefore, future longitudinal studies are required.