Probiotics are no news really, we’ve known and talked about them for years now and numerous studies have shown us the benefits they have on our digestive system. Over the past years though, the scope of the research has widened in that they may prove effective in other microbiota of our bodies.
One such case is the oral cavity, where the microbiota also plays a crucial role in prevention and health.
What is the microbiome?
The microbiome is the whole group of microbial residents in and on our bodies, which have coevolved together with us, living in what is called a symbiotic state with our body (their host) in a very relevant relationship to our overall health.
This strong host-microbiome relationship turns out to be very positive for us by means of providing:
- Resistance to colonization of pathogens
- Anti-inflammatory properties
- Promoting digestive tract health
- Anti-oxidant activity
- Cardiovascular system regulation
- Additional metabolic potential
- Promoting defense functions
Disruptions in this symbiotic equilibrium can make a difference between our health and potential disease. Some of the factors that may alter this equilibrium are stress, diet, tobacco consumption, exposure to chemicals, medicine etc.
Microbiome vs. microbiota
Our microbiome is divided throughout several areas in our body, and our mouth is the habitat of the second most diverse microbial community, the oral microbiota, which counts hundreds of bacteria species alongside viruses and fungi, that colonize the different areas of the buccal mucosa, teeth and tongue. This colonization means the bacteria attach themselves to surfaces by forming a layer called Biofilm. Whenever the microbiota is balanced it protects against pathogens, effectively helping prevent infections. Whenever this equilibrium is disrupted, there may be an overgrowth of harmful bacteria, thus resulting in different pathologies.
The oral microbiota
The oral microbiota is our microbial mouth ecosystem which acts as a barrier to local oral infection when it is in good balance, as it contains not only harmless and beneficial bacterial species but also potentially pathogenic ones.
However, there are factors that may alter this balance (causing Dysbiosis) and increase our risk of disease. Some of these factors are: changes in salivary flow, poor oral hygiene, diet habits and smoking.
This may affect the type and proportion of the bacterial species present, benefiting the growth and adaptability of the more pathogenic ones. This imbalance dramatically increases the risk of appearance of the most common oral problems: caries, periodontitis and gingivitis.
And not only can your oral health be affected, but also the rest of your body by extension, as recent research suggests that oral specific bacteria play an important role in systemic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, respiratory tract infection and diabetes.
Hence a good oral hygiene and a healthy oral microbiota respectively are crucial to oral health and disease prevention.
Probiotics
In the last decade the use of Probiotics as beneficial bacterial strains to reinforce a healthy microbiota has been increasingly important, especially in areas like the digestive or the urinary tract. Oral health application of probiotics has thus far not been so popular.
Today though, there are more and more studies showing how probiotics have a strong contribution in creating a balanced oral biofilm, antagonizing pathogenic bacteria in the oral cavity, hence preventing the appearance of common problems like plaque, periodontal disease, bad breath etc.
As these new findings continue to link to Probiotics’ efficacy, we expect this to be a category of growing interest and high consumer demand over the coming years.
Cafosa Oral Probiotic chewing gum
In light of all this, we have partnered with AB Biotics to create a probiotic chewing gum. Our Oral care probiotic gum contains AB Dentalc®, two patented strains of probiotics specifically targeting the oral mucosa, contributing to pathology prevention and promoting oral health. We have worked hard in developing this gum, made possible by the use of our powder excipient gum with tableting technology. Chewing gum, as an application promoting oral health, makes complete sense due to the specificity of product use (prolonged chewing and presence in the mouth), enabling the probiotic to colonize the oral cavity.
If you wish to know more about this product and the commercial options, please do not hesitate in contacting us.
Source: The oral microbiome – an update for oral healthcare professionals M. Kilian,*1 I. L. C. Chapple,2 M. Hannig,3 P. D. Marsh,4 V. Meuric,5 A. M. L. Pedersen,6 M. S. Tonetti,7 W. G. Wade8 and E. Zaura9. BRITISH DENTAL JOURNAL | VOLUME 221 NO. 10 | NOVEMBER 18 2016