L. reuteri Prodentis effective for treating chronic periodontitis

The study shows that L. reuteri Prodentis acts synergistically with standard treatment (scaling and root plaining, SRP) to significantly reduce probing pocket depth (PPD) and clinical attachment level (CAL) which are the two most important parameters to assess the severity of periodontitis. Furthermore L. reuteri Prodentis reveals - as the first probiotic ever - significant reductions of three different pathogens in patients with chronic periodontitis. The study also confirms the anti-inflammatory effects of L. reuteri Prodentis on gum inflammation (gingivitis).

Chronic periodontitis occurs in up to 40 % of the adult population. The standard treatment aims at removing plaque in the dental pockets to reduce the periodontal pathogens and thereby prevent disease progression.

Thirty chronic periodontitis patients were included in the double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial that lasted for 42 days. On day 0 the teeth in one half of the mouth were treated with SRP whereas the teeth in the other half were left untreated. From day 21 to day 42 the patients were supplemented with either L. reuteri Prodentis lozenges (1X108 CFU DSM 17938 and 1x108 CFU ATCC PTA 5289) or placebo lozenges twice daily.

The result showed that a combination of L. reuteri Prodentis and SRP was significantly better than all other modalities in reducing gingivitis and plaque. Moreover, L. reuteri Prodentis, either alone or following SRP, significantly reduced the pathogens Aggregibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella intermedia by up to 90 % as compared to the treatments that did not include L. reuteri Prodentis. The combination of L. reuteri Prodentis and SRP was also significantly better than SPR alone in reducing both PPD (p<0.001) and CAL (p<0.001), see attachment.

• This short-term study proves that L. reuteri Prodentis by itself has a powerful effect on the pathogens of periodontitis and that the combination of L. reuteri Prodentis and SRP synergistically improves both PPD and CAL, says Professor Vandana at the College of Dental Science in Davangere, India.

• The results strengthen L. reuteri Prodentis position as a proven treatment option for patients with periodontal disease, says Peter Rothschild, President, BioGaia AB.