The use of dental probiotics has been increasing over the years. Some people think that they can cure problems that once required surgeries and extensive dental care. Is there any truth to this claim? Or is this all part of an effective lie made up by companies to sell their product?
Let’s explore whether dental probiotics are good for us or are just another short-lived trendy product that is going to die down in some time.
First Things First: What are Dental Probiotics?
Dental probiotics are essentially healthy bacteria. Naturally, they are found in foods such as yoghurt and cheese and play a major role in keeping the digestive system working seamlessly. However, you can now also find them in the form of supplements that are shelved in pharmacies as tablets, lozenges and capsules.
Recently, healthcare professionals have been introduced to the fact that they can be equally useful in maintaining oral and dental health. Probiotics can get rid of the awful, disgusting, and embarrassing mouth odour. They are also effective in curing and preventing some of the most dangerous dental diseases.
Benefits Of Oral Probiotics
Let’s delve deeper and check out in detail the benefits that one could get by using these ‘magical’ tablets!
1. Treat Your Bad Breath
The reason behind bad breath is usually bad bacteria that reside in the cavities of your mouth. A dry mouth is usually the best breeding ground for these stinky bacteria. Brushing your teeth and using mouth-fresheners may remove this bacterium for some time, but they do re-grow, soon causing the odour to return.
According to research, oral probiotics can cure bad breath or halitosis. Therefore, you should not be reluctant in using them to alleviate it. Dental probiotics are specifically designed to halt the growth of pathogenic bacteria in oral cavities for a longer period.
Simultaneously, the formulae of these tablets provide a safe haven for good bacteria to grow. Thus, they keep your mouth free from malodour.
Which probiotics are best for bad breath?
For bad breath, dental probiotic K12 is quite efficient. K12 and M18 are strains of S. salivarius bacteria. K12 combats bad breath by reducing the count of pathogenic bacteria like P. gingivalis and A. actinomycetemcomitans.
M18 is best for keeping plaque and caries (cavities) away, while K12 reduces the stinky odour in your breath.
2. Keep Caries Away
Dental caries, more commonly known as cavities, are a dangerous and serious dental problem. It is an outcome of tooth enamel breakdown.
In addition to the health hazard that caries poses, they are another point of embarrassment for many individuals, particularly younger children. Teeth turning yellow and/or black is an apparent symptom of caries, and they can negatively affect one’s personality. People become reluctant to smile.
Oral probiotics have been tested against different salivary bacteria. Results show that probiotics do have the capability to restrict the bacteria that cause tooth decay. In the light of this , it isn’t wrong to say that using these could also save you from caries.
3. Prevention against gum diseases
No matter how much of a tough nut you consider yourself to be, a swollen gum will always be a painful experience. You end up being distracted from work and may even have to spend a few hours and some money to get a check-up from your dentist to get it cured.
With the use of these supplements, the disease-causing bacteria can be significantly reduced. This has been confirmed by research carried out on young adults using chewing gums containing probiotics. The number of salivary bacteria which can cause acute gum infections were substantially decreased after these chewing gums were used, showing the efficacy of probiotics against gum diseases.
What are the Side-Effects of Dental Probiotics?
Probiotics from natural sources rarely trigger any side effects. However, just like any other food, excessive consumption of certain natural sources of biotics can have an adverse effect on one’s body and health.
- Firstly, this could occur because of the other ingredients that are used in the production of these medications. Materials such as soy or other materials that people commonly have allergies to can be harmful to them to consume.
- Secondly, dental probiotics’ side effects are mostly short-term and harmless. They are because of the changes that occur in the gut. If you have a funny stomach after taking a shot of good bacteria, don’t worry; it’ll get better soon.
Supplements, in general, are holistically tested before they are made available on the market. National drug regulatory authorities are also proactive when it comes to the potential side effects of such medications, and they test them to the highest standards available.
Back to Square One
Now that we know in detail what probiotics are and how they could affect us, we should ask ourselves this question again: Are dental probiotics good for us?
Well, if you haven’t yet figured out the answer, here’s the bottom line. The use of natural sources of probiotics will not trigger any side effects. It will not cause any harm unless they are consumed in excessive amounts or the consumer has an allergy to the particular ingredients.
In supplements, however, a little more care needs to be taken. If you are even slightly unsure about how a probiotic supplement might affect you, consult your general physician.
Dental Probiotics – An Effective Solution or an Elaborative Lie? ~ Download in PDF
