Abstract
Changing lifestyle has resulted in worsening of oral health in people of all age groups. One such common oral health disease is said to be dental caries. There are various modalities in the prevention of dental caries which include proper maintenance of oral hygiene, fluoride application, chemoprophylactic agents, antimicrobial peptides and sugar substitutes. The increasing global problems with the traditional disease management and prevention strategies have prompted the investigators to be in constant search of alternatives for managing the oral health issues. Recently probiotics have been used as an alternative for caries prevention that has gained a lot of importance in improving oral health. The effect of probiotics on dental caries and its related risk factors is gaining momentum in the current era. This narrative review summarised the available literature on different probiotic strains and their mechanism of action and future scope of probiotics in caries prevention.
Highlights
Dental caries is still one of the most frequent diseases in the world, despite a decrease in prevalence in the Western world [1]
Prevention of dental caries is based on the reduction in the number of cariogenic bacteria which leads to the environment that facilitates remineralization
A shorter-term probiotic intervention seems to strengthen its inhibitory efficacy against Streptococcus mutans [36]. Another double-blind, randomized, placebocontrolled trial was conducted to provide a preliminary evaluation of Streptococcus salivarius M18 for its probiotic application to the prevention, or reduction in the risk of dental caries, and it was discovered that Streptococcus salivarius M18 has oral health benefits when it is administered regularly [37]
Summary
Dental caries is still one of the most frequent diseases in the world, despite a decrease in prevalence in the Western world [1]. Streptococcus mutans have been considered for a long time the major pathogens involved in caries development [5]. The role of probiotics is the prevention of dental caries by acting as an antagonistic agent on the mutans streptococci. They decrease the count of the caustic bacteria that are responsible for the development of dental caries [5]. It has been expressed in recent years as a shift in the microflora's preponderance from Streptococcus mutans and Actinomyces to other bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium [6]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
