| Title |
Use of Oral Probiotics reduces Gingival Inflammation in Patients with Gingivitis |
| Clinical Question |
In patients with gingivitis, are oral probiotics effective at reducing gingival inflammation when compared to placebo or alternative treatments? |
| Clinical Bottom Line |
Evidence supports the use of oral probiotics to reduce gingival inflammation in gingivitis. |
| Best Evidence |
|
| PubMed ID |
Author / Year |
Patient Group |
Study type
(level of evidence) |
| 26965080 | Gruner/2016 | 50 studies/3247 patients | Systematic Review of RCTs | | Key results | Studies have shown that markers of inflammation, Gingival Index (GI) (standardized mean difference (SMD): -0.86; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): -1.52/-0.20) and Bleeding on Probing (BOP) (SMD: -0.34; CI: -0.89/0.21), are significantly reduced in patients who consume oral probiotics. Results were based on 50 Randomized control trials including 3247 patients. | |
| Evidence Search |
("Gingivitis"[Mesh] AND "Probiotics"[Mesh]) AND "Dental Plaque Index"[Mesh] |
Comments on
The Evidence |
The authors make clear that many of the studies included has high risk of publication bias. They also emphasize that the total evidence of the usefulness of probiotic therapy is very weak. The reduction of BOP and GI had the most solid evidence in the paper. |
| Applicability |
Decrease of gingival inflammation has been shown to be achievable with the usage of oral probiotics. Probiotics should not be used as a definitive solution to gingival inflammation, gingivitis, or periodontal disease. Further research into the effectiveness of this therapy is necessary before adding probiotic therapy as an adjunctive to a patient's regular periodontal maintenance. |
| Specialty |
(Public Health) (General Dentistry) (Periodontics) |
| Keywords |
Probiotics, plaque index, gingival inflammation
|
| ID# |
3089 |
| Date of submission |
05/03/2016 |
| E-mail |
caraballoa@livemail.uthscsa.edu |
| Author |
Amaris Caraballo |
| Co-author(s) |
|
| Co-author(s) e-mail |
|
| Faculty mentor |
Erica Oliveira, DDS, MPH |
| Faculty mentor e-mail |
oliveirae@uthscsa.edu |
| |
|
Basic Science Rationale
(Mechanisms that may account for and/or explain the clinical question, i.e. is the answer to the clinical question consistent with basic biological, physical and/or behavioral science principles, laws and research?) |
| None available | |
 |
Comments and Evidence-Based Updates on the CAT
(FOR PRACTICING DENTISTS', FACULTY, RESIDENTS and/or STUDENTS COMMENTS ON PUBLISHED CATs) |
| None available | |