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From Trisha's Desk Trisha E. O’Hehir, RDH, BS Editorial Director, Hygienetown

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Eating Bacteria for Health
– by Trisha E. O’Hehir, RDH, BS, Hygienetown Editorial Director

I’ve just put bacteria in my mouth! Why, after brushing, flossing and irrigating to remove bacteria, would I put bacteria back into my mouth on purpose?!
The reason – balance.
An emerging area of oral research focuses on probiotics, which are live microorganisms that confer beneficial effects on the balance of bacteria in the mouth. The most common bacteria used in probiotics for gastrointestinal disorders are Lactobacillus and bifidobacteria, taken as nutritional supplements or added to dairy products. Probiotics for oral health provide a new and exciting approach to oral bacteria and oral disease.

As I write this, the probiotic mint dissolving on my tongue contains 100 million colony forming units (CFU) each of S uberis KJ2, S oralis KJ3 and S rattus JH145. The first ingredient in the mint is xylitol, which also contributes to a reduction in biofilm and lactic acid. In addition to mechanically or chemically removing bad bacteria from the mouth, I’m increasing the population of good bacteria and changing the balance in favor of health.

By introducing these three particular Streptococcus bacteria after daily oral hygiene will allow these strains to colonize tooth surfaces, use up valuable nutrients and thus make the neighborhood no longer desirable for the periodontal pathogens responsible for tipping the balance toward periodontal disease. Hydrogen peroxide produced by S uberis KJ2 and S oralis KJ3 inhibits colonization of many periodontal pathogens, thus reducing pathogenic biofilm on the teeth. By reducing the numbers of periodontal pathogens, the level of volatile sulphur compounds goes down, which in turn reduces oral malodor. Hydrogen peroxide released from these bacteria has also been shown to whiten tooth enamel, a nice side effect.

S rattus JH145 is a unique strain of Streptococcus producing very low levels of lactic acid, thus preventing dental caries. This strain produces an antibiotic-like substance called lantibiotic, that effectively kills the acid producing S mutans, soon significantly outnumbering the acid producing strain. Laboratory tests to determine if this lantibiotic would promote antibiotic resistant strains of S mutans number in the trillions and have never shown alteration effects on other oral bacteria.

The proprietary probiotic blend of these three Streptococcus bacteria is called ProBiora3 and the oral mint it’s in is EvoraPlus. This biotechnology and new product is the result of 25 years of research by Dr. Jeffery Hillman and his research teams beginning first at the Harvard-affiliated Forsyth Institute in Boston, then continuing at the University of Florida in Gainesville and now in the biopharmaceutical company he founded, Oragenics. Establishing a healthy balance of oral bacteria is important for children and even for pets. If you have a dog or a cat, you know the impact of oral infections on overall pet health. ProBiora³ is also available in products for children.

I have been reading Dr. Hillman’s research for years, and it is indeed exciting to see years of laboratory and clinical research focused on eliminating dental disease be translated into an effective, easy to use product that tastes good too. Sunstar Butler also has a probiotic for oral health called GUM Periobalance. The probiotic used in this product is Lactobacillus reuteri Prodentis from BioGaia, a Swedish biotechnology company. The goal of this probiotic is to change the balance between Lactobacillus and Streptococcus in favor of the Lactobacillus.

It’s exciting to see the potential for easy, effective ways to prevent dental disease that also taste good. Combining xylitol and probiotics may be just what we need to eliminate caries and periodontal disease. Think of the many patients in hospitals and nursing home suffering from caries and periodontal disease. Products like these have the potential to make a significant difference in these populations as well healthy individuals who want to prevent disease with delicious “pill, mint, or candy” probiotic.

Inside This Section
94 Perio Reports
98 Profile in Oral Health: The Power of Power Scalers
101 Message Board: Standard of Care for Periodontal Records
103 Hygienetown.com Poll: Oral Irrigation
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