The administration of probiotic bacteria can reduce bad breath. This is the result of an analysis of several studies that examined the effect of probiotics on perceptible and measurable bad breath. According to the study, probiotics administered through chewing gum or lozenges primarily reduce the formation of volatile - and smelly - sulfur compounds, especially hydrogen sulfide. The group led by Longjiang Li from Sichuan University in Chengdu (China) has published its study in the specialist journal "BMJ Open".
Around a quarter of all people worldwide suffer from unpleasant bad breath, medically known as halitosis, at least occasionally. In around six percent of people, bad breath is chronic. In more than 90 percent of cases, microorganisms in the oral cavity are responsible for the smell; diseases of the throat and nose area or the gastrointestinal tract can also be a cause.
In the mouth, it is mainly bacteria in the hollows of the tongue that produce foul-smelling gases by breaking down organic substances. The microorganisms can also be found on the teeth and in the gum pockets. Such bacteria can cause inflammation of the gums (gingivitis) and the periodontal ligament (periodontitis). Unless the underlying disease is outside the oral cavity, halitosis is often treated by removing tartar, professional teeth cleaning and tongue cleaning. Patients are usually shown how to improve their daily oral hygiene. Mouthwashes, antibiotics and Probiotics have been used for several years.
Li and colleagues found 238 studies in medical databases that examined the effect of probiotics on bad breath. For the analysis, however, they only used high-quality studies with a control group, which also had to contain certain data. This left seven studies with a total of 278 participants. In the studies, people assessed the extent of bad breath, and in some of them volatile sulfur compounds in the breath were also measured. In addition, some of the plaque on the tongue and teeth was examined.
The statistical analysis of the study results showed a significant reduction in the perceptible bad breath when the patients were administered probiotic bacteria. These bacteria included Lactobacillus salivarius, Lactobacillus reuteri, Streptococcus salivarius and Weissella cibaria. And from these Streptococcus salivarius consists of the PRObiom ® Dental.
