A Guide to Oral Health Probiotics
You may have heard about probiotics and how they benefit your gut health. But, probiotics are also helpful in maintaining good oral health. Probiotics are healthy bacteria and they are mostly associated with digestive health. Research shows that these healthy bacteria can also keep your mouth healthy. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not yet approved oral probiotics for any medical use; however, research shows possible benefits of oral probiotics.
At Hamby Family Dental Center, your Fuquay-Varina dentist, your oral health is our primary concern. In that regard, we want to pass along any information that helps you keep your mouth healthy. In this article, we will define what oral probiotics are and how they work, point out differences between oral and gut probiotics, provide benefits, and list the best probiotic strains for you to take.
Dental/Oral Probiotics
In the same way that bacteria are naturally present in the GI tract, bacteria also live in the mouth. This is called the oral microbiome and includes more than 700 different kinds of bacteria. The oral microbiome is made up of both good and bad bacteria, and an optimal balance of these two types is necessary for proper oral health.
Oral probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are intended to improve oral health. They are designed to rebalance the oral microbiome by increasing beneficial bacteria and reducing harmful bacteria. Oral probiotics can help with preventing dental conditions such as tooth decay, gum disease, and periodontitis as well as helping with bad breath and maintaining a healthy pH in your mouth.
How Oral Probiotics Work
Dental/oral probiotics are supplements that work to help restore and maintain the ideal balance of good and bad bacteria in your mouth They include beneficial strains of bacteria that have been shown to help encourage the growth of good bacteria and keep bad bacteria in check.
Difference Between Oral Probiotics and Gut Probiotics
The main difference between oral probiotics and gut probiotics is based on the difference in gut and oral microbiome. The gut microbiome consists of microorganisms (such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses) that live inside our digestive tract, and the oral microbiome consists of the microorganisms that live inside our mouths. Therefore, dental probiotics are specifically formulated to support your oral health, whereas digestive probiotics are primarily for digestive health.
Each person’s microbiome is unique and shaped by diet, lifestyle, genetics, and environmental factors. Our gut and oral microbiomes play an important role in the absorption of nutrients and minerals, our immune system, and in chronic health conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, heart disease, and colorectal cancer.
Benefits of Oral Probiotics
As stated earlier, by improving the microbiome in your mouth, dental probiotics help with every part of your mouth and are the key to oral health. The good bacteria in oral probiotics can create biofilms to replace those created by undesirable bacteria. These biofilms support the health of teeth and gums and reduce inflammation as well as block bad bacteria from reaching enamel or gum tissue to wreak havoc.
Oral/dental probiotics may prevent or address most oral diseases, such as:
- Cavities
- Gingivitis/periodontitis
- Oral thrush (Candidiasis)
- Bad breath
- Respiratory infections
- Tonsillitis
- Oral cancer
Best Oral Probiotic Strains
These microbiome probiotic strains are considered most beneficial to oral health:
- Lactobacillus reuteri
- Lactobacillus salivarius
- Streptococcus salivarius K12
- Streptococcus salivarius M18
- Lactobacillus paracasei
- Lactobacillus sakei
Most oral probiotics are given in the form of lozenges, drinks, mouth rinse, or chewable tablets. They are intended to sit in your mouth while they dissolve, allowing enough time to inoculate your oral microbiome.
Contact Us at Hamby Family Dental Center Today for Better Oral Health
The team at your Fuquay-Varina dentist, Hamby Family Dentistry, is primarily concerned with your overall oral health, and oral/dental probiotics can be a part of your oral hygiene routine for a healthy mouth. Additionally, keeping up with your bi-annual dental exams is a crucial part of your oral health. Contact us today for a checkup. Call us at 919-552-2431 or complete the form below.