Oral microbial shift following 1-month supplementation of probiotic chewable tablets containing Lactobacillus reuteri UBLRu-87 as an adjunct to phase 1 periodontal therapy in chronic periodontitis patients: A randomized controlled clinical trial

• Published in: Contemporary clinical dentistry 2021-04, Vol.12 (2), p.121-127
• Main Authors: Jebin, A, Nisha, K, Padmanabhan, Shyam
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Care and treatment; Clinical trials; Dietary supplements; Dosage; Gingival index; Gum disease; Health aspects; Lactobacillus reuteri; Microbiota; Microbiota (Symbiotic organisms); Microorganisms; Original; Patients; Periodontitis; Plaque index; Polymerase chain reaction; Probiotics; Recolonization; Statistical analysis; Statistics; Tablets; Testing
• ISSN: 0976-237X; 0976-2361
• DOI: 10.4103/ccd.ccd_135_20

Context: Although Lactobacilli as a probiotic was established as a treatment for a wide range of systemic infections, its role in periodontitis and oral microbiota is still under investigation. Aims: The present randomized clinical trial was aimed to evaluate the effects of probiotic chewable tablets containing Lactobacillus reuteri UBLRu-87 along with initial periodontal therapy on clinical parameters and oral microbiota of chronic periodontitis (CP) patients. Settings and Design: The randomized controlled clinical trial. Subjects and Methods: Thirty CP patients were selected who received scaling and root planing (SRP) and were randomly allocated into two treatment groups; Groups A and B. Group A received L. reuteri-containing chewable probiotic tablets. The clinical parameters (plaque index, gingival index, probing pocket depth, clinical attachment level), and microbiological parameters (Porphyromonas gingivalis and L. reuteri levels using real-time polymerase chain reaction) were evaluated at baseline, following treatment at 1 month and 3 months in both groups. Statistical Analysis: Paired t-test and unpaired t-test were used for the statistical analysis. Results: On intergroup analysis, statistically significant improvement in clinical as well as microbiological parameters was observed in Group A (SRP + PROBIOTIC) compared to Group B (SRP ALONE) at all evaluation time points. Conclusion: Probiotic chewable tablets containing L. reuteri may be a useful adjunct along with initial periodontal therapy to slow recolonization of periopathogens along with improvement in clinical outcomes of CP. Further long-term trials are necessary to establish the optimal dosage of probiotics.