Probiotics and regulation of oral microecology: a review

Abstract:

It has been unequivocally proved that the occurrence and development of oral diseases are strongly associated with the imbalance of oral microbiota. Probiotics are live microorganisms that confer health benefits on the host, which exert the probiotic efficacy by the process of secreting antibacterial substances, interfering with the colonization of pathogenic bacteria, modulating the expression of virulence-associated genes, modulating host immune responses, regulating oxidative stress response, involving nitrate-nitrite-nitric oxide pathway, and adjusting the pH value of biofilms. Studies have found that probiotic therapy could reduce the risk of dental caries, promote the periodontal status, and improve the therapeutic effect of oral mucosal diseases, which is expected to be the potential way to prevent and treat oral diseases. This article reviews the researches progress on the relationship between probiotics and oral microecological regulation in recent years.