Probiotics are defined as viable microorganisms that confer a health benefit when administered in sufficient doses. A few studies have revealed that probiotic Lactobacillus strains were useful in reducing gingival inflammation and the number of black-pigmented rods, including Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg), in the saliva and subgingival plaque. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of scaling and root planing (SRP) alone or SRP in combination with Lactobacilli casei in patients with chronic periodontitis. The study population comprised 20 patients who were randomly allocated into a control group (scaling and root planning was done) and the test group (scaling and root planing along with probiotic milk drink supplementation (65 ml) containing Lactobacillus casei strain once per day for one month). The clinical examination included a full-mouth periodontal assessment: BOP (bleeding on probing), PI (plaque index) and GI (gingival index) at baseline and after one month. GI & BOP were significantly decreased in Group B as compared to Group A at one month. Non-significant differences were seen in other periodontal parameters between Group A & B. The patients taking probiotic milk drink as an adjunct to scaling and root planing demonstrated a better improvement in gingival inflammation. However, a further long term, multi-centre study with a large sample size is recommended to determine its practical implementation.
Keywords: periodontitis, dental scaling, root planing, probiotics
