Associação entre o uso do iogurte contendo probióticos e a redução de Estreptococos do grupo mutans em pacientes sob tratamento ortodôntico

Abstract

Probiotics have been widely studied due to the benefic effects to host health. The main research field of probiotics is gastrointestinal tract. However, there is an increased interest in odontology research due to the benefits of probiotics in oral cavity. Oral infections, mainly caries, show high prevalence in Brazilians and its treatment has high costs. Preventive actions to this disorder should have high potential to benefit a high number of individuals. The efforts of odontology nowadays aim to recover the balance between pathogenic microorganisms and benefic micro flora. New methods, like bacteriotherapy to reduce pathogenic elements of oral micro biota, have being investigated. Probiotics are one of the new promising agents on caries disease. It is believed that among the various criteria to the selection of a certain strain, adhesion is considered the most favor to the expression of probiotic activity as well as administration. Probiotics are safe to the use of healthy people however, they should be cautious administered in ill individuals to avoid bacteremia risk. Clinical trials searching for the role of probiotics in the prevention of caries are limited and new studies should be performed to better identify the mechanisms of action as well as the benefic effects in oral cavity.