Probiotics in Dentistry

Probiotics can be defined as living microbes, or as food ingredients containing living microbes, that beneficially influence the health of the host when used in adequate numbers. As adopted by the International Scientific Association for probiotics and prebiotics, Live microorganisms, which when administered in adequate amounts, confer beneficial effect on the health of the host. [1] An International Life Science Institute Europe consensus document proposed a simple and widely accepted definition of probiotics as Viable microbial food supplements which beneficially influence the health of human. These bacteria should belong to the natural flora in order to resist gastric secretion and survive during intestinal transit. They should also adhere to the intestinal mucosa and finally should have the ability to inhibit gut pathogens [2, 3, 4]. Prebiotics are non digestible food ingredients such as fructooligosaccharides (FOS), Lactulose and inulin that beneficially affect the host by selectively stimulating growth and / or increase activity of a limited number of probiotic like bacteria in a colon.