Some Bacteria May Fight Bad Breath, Bleeding Gums
August 4, 2010

By Nancy Volkers
InteliHealth News Service

INTELIHEALTH - A small study has found that probiotics may make for better-smelling breath and healthier gums.

Researchers from Fukuoka Dental College in Japan did the study. It involved 20 people with bad breath (halitosis). They took pills for 4 weeks. Each pill contained xylitol and about 2 billion Lactobacillus salivarius bacteria.

After 4 weeks, bad breath had improved. Also, people's gums were less likely to bleed.

Probiotics are "friendly" bacteria that are thought to have health benefits. L. salivarius belongs to a group of bacteria known as lactobacilli. These bacteria can turn milk sugars into lactic acid. This makes their local environment more acidic, and is thought to make it more difficult for strains of unhealthy bacteria to grow.

L. salivarius has been studied by other researchers. Last year, another Japanese group found that people who took probiotic pills for 8 weeks had much lower levels of bacteria that cause periodontal disease. However, a small study in Thailand found that preschool children with these bacteria in their mouths were more likely to have cavities.

The current study appears in the August issue of the journal Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology and Endodontics.