Keynote Address: Probiotics: Benefits vs. Risks for Dental Health?

Probiotics have been extensively studied in connection with gastrointestinal diseases, in their capacity to enhance immune functions and ameliorate allergy. Probiotics were introduced in oral and dental health in early 1990s.  Since then this area of research has become a hot topic. Both experimental and clinical studies have shown beneficial effects of probiotics mainly on risk factors of dental caries.  However, the mechanisms of probiotic actions are not understood.  Whether or not probiotics incorporate and function in oral biofilms is largely unknown. The bacterial species investigated as “oral probiotics” mainly belong to the genus Lactobacillus which bacteria are known to ferment dietary carbohydrates to organic acids detrimental to the teeth. Consequently, safety issues are highly important if such live bacteria are administered to the mouth. More randomized controlled clinical studies with enough statistical power are needed for evaluating the future role of probiotics in dentistry and oral medicine.