The Critical Role of Probiotics for the Oral Microbiome

Hi everybody, I'm Dr. Sandhya Moldovan, periodontist and nutritionist. Welcome to the Holistic Dentistry podcast, the show that gives you the tips and tools to detoxify your mouth for a healthier body as we explore together the root cause of disease. Remember, you're not healthy until your mouth is healthy, so take care of it in the most natural way. Welcome to the Holistic Dentistry show where we dive deep into the world of natural oral health and wellness, uncovering the hidden connection that impact our lives in ways we might not expect. I'm Dr. Sandha and today we are exploring a fascinating aspect of our oral health. At least I think so. That often goes unnoticed. The oral microbiome. Did you know that the balance of bacteria in our mouths can significantly affect not only our oral health, but our overall well being too? This journey began with my own quest to understand and improve oral bacteria as a periodontist. We learned about the different bacteria when I was in residency, which is back in 2002, 2003, we were looking under the microscope. We were really trying to understand the behavior of the dyspheren bacteria, but at that time, we were treating them all pretty much the same. Today, fast forward 20 years later, we know a lot more about the different behavior of this bacteria. As someone passionate about wellness, I was struck by how little attention we pay to the microbial world within our mouths. A world that plays a crucial role in our health. So that's how I started Orasana. Actually. I was fascinated by all the research coming out on the different oral probiotics and their behavior and how they can actually influence the rate of cavities, the rate of gum disease, even bone density, as well as of course, fresh breath, sinus health, decreasing the rate of asthma, and so on. A few years ago, I was actually using a different chewable probiotic for my patients and I was an early promoter of this field because of the benefits of the studies that were coming out. One of the things I was noticing is that after the typical deep cleanings, as you might call them, or laser scaling or planing when people have inflammation, noticing that when people were doing a chewable probiotic, we were getting better results. The only problem is the taste of the probiotic that I was using. People were complaining that it tastes too chalky, it tastes like cough syrup. So people were not compliant with it. They were taking it for two, three days and then stopping. They said, don't you have a better tasting probiotic? And I actually didn't. I looked everywhere at the time was 2016, 2018. And I decided, you know what, I'm just going to make my own formulation Also. A lot of my patients were vegan or they were lactose intolerant and they did not want to take any products that were not vegan certified. The good news is today we can actually do oral probiotic that is grown on a vegan medium. That's how the Orasana first product was born, from a need of having a oral probiotic that was decreasing inflammation, protecting against cavities, protecting against Candida, and really that was good tasting. So I remember our first batches were using children because they're the best of telling you if something tastes good or not. And we knew we had a good formula. When they said, how many of these can I have a day, can I have 10? We knew that we had a good product. What exactly are probiotics? Probiotics are live microorganisms. You heard me right. Microbes, often referred to as good or beneficial bacteria that can provide health benefits when consumed or applied to the body. Today, there's even skincare product, there's facial products that contain probiotics to help decrease inflammation. Probiotics are similar to the naturally occurring beneficial microbes that are normally found in our mouth or in our bodies, particularly the digestive systems, but also the surface of the skin. The idea behind probiotics is to support or restore the balance of these beneficial microbes, which can be disrupted by factors like antibiotics or diet, poor hygiene or oral hygiene, or even illness and stress. When we are stressed, we know that there's a change in the microbiome. And unfortunately, stress is an epidemic today. When it comes to the oral microbiome, which is the community of microorganisms living in your mouth, on your tongue, on your cheek, floor of the mouth, around the teeth, probiotics can play a supportive role. So some of you might want to kill everything in the mouth. And I always talk about this. You're killing your beneficial bacteria that gives you the taste. It protects against your gums being sensitive, it protects against cavities. The mouth is home to a complex ecosystem of bacteria, fungi and viruses, which can either contribute to oral health or lead to problems like tooth decay, gum disease and bad breath. Introducing beneficial bacteria through probiotics can help maintain a healthy balance in the oral microbiome. This can potentially prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. So if we actually have a layer of protective bacteria that works in good relationship with your cel, with the surface of the mucosa and of the gingiva and the surface of your tooth. This can actually be protective and protect you from growing harmful bacteria that causes oral diseases, can reduce inflammation, improve bad breath and even enhance the overall health of the mouth's tissues. And the mouth is so intimately connected, even with your sinuses, for example, and the back of the throat, the esophagus, which is the opening of the stomach, as well as the lung health. We know that people that have periodontal disease have a higher incidence of lung infections. People that have periodontal disease also have higher inflammation in their body. So if we can actually reduce periodontal disease and really provide you with a layer of beneficial bacteria that can be protective, you will have better quality of life. The idea of using probiotics for oral health isn't new. But it's only in the recent years that we began understanding its full potential. And studies are still undergoing into understanding the millions of microbes that we have in our mouth and which ones are beneficial and which ones are not. The journey of oral probiotic research is a tale of of discovery and innovation, tracing back to pioneering studies that first made the connection between beneficial bacteria and oral health. The concept of probiotics and health benefits can be traced back to the early 20th century with significant contributions from this Russian scientist, Metchnikov, a Nobel laureate working at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. Mechnikov is often called the father of probiotics due to his pioneering work on the immune system and his hypothesis that consuming certain bacteria, particularly those found in yogurt, could have significant health benefits, including extending lifespan. And we actually did a full show on fermented foods and probiotics with Jeannie Peters, which I encourage you to listen to because it is enlightening how these little dyes can actually be so beneficial for our health. Metchnikoff suggested that the consumption of these beneficial microbes could help replace harmful microbes in the body theory that laid the ground for modern probiotic research. The connection between probiotics and oral health became later on popular to gain attention in the latter part of the 20th century as researchers started exploring the microbes role in various health aspects beyond the gut. So initially we had the oral, the human microbiome study. Later on we had the oral microbiome study a few years later. Initial studies focused on the idea that introducing beneficial bacteria in the mouth could combat harmful oral bacteria responsible for tooth decay, gum disease and bad breath. Key figures and studies in the field of oral probiotics are. Jeffrey Hillman. Jeffrey Hillman, in the late 20th and early 21st centuries developed a strain of Streptococcus mutants, a bacterium often implicated in tooth decay that could potentially out compete the harmful cavity causing strains without producing lactic acid. Strep mutans is known to produce lactic acid and in contact with the tooth actually causes the tooth to dissolve, hence causing cavities. Jeffrey Hillman's work represented a significant step forward in the development of probiotics targeted specifically at oral health. There's also a Japanese researcher, Ryozo Hayashi, who conducted studies on Lactobacillus salivarius, one of the probiotics that I closely follow, as it is in the Orasana probiotic mints. Lactobacillus salivarius is a probiotic strain demonstrating its potential in reducing volatile sulfur compounds that contribute to bad breath. His work in the early 2000s helped establish a basis for use probiotics in in managing oral health and especially when it comes to bad breath. So basically, if you take a chewable probiotic that contains Lactobacillus salivarius, you are guaranteed to have a fresher breath. Of course, bad breath can come for many different reasons. So your bad breath does not come from mouth and it comes, let's say, from periodontal disease. You must treat that as well. Or if it comes from, let's say, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth known as sibo, you must treat that. You know, simple probiotic might not help you. We might need to look more in depth at where your bad breath is coming from. Over the past few decades, various studies have explored the effectiveness of different probiotic strains in managing oral health conditions, especially periodontal disease and cavities. These studies have helped to gradually build a scientific basis for the application of probiotics in dental and oral health. There's quite a few different brands out there today in the form of chewable lozenges, like little tablets that you just chew twice a day, three times a day, depending on the product. But the field of oral probiotic is still relatively young. While promising, it continues to evolve with ongoing research aiming to better understand the complex interaction between the oral microbiome and how to best harness probiotics for oral health benefits. Not all probiotics are created equal. They have different behaviors, especially when it comes to oral health. Strains like Lactobacillus paracaceae and Lactobacillus salivarius have been at the forefront of research for their ability to combat oral pathogens, reduce inflammation and freshen breath. That's why I've selected these particular strains to go into our product. But let's also talk about Lactobacillus rhamnosus. A study demonstrated that Lactobacillus rhamnosus when used alongside non surgical periodontal therapy, meaning when you go to your hygienist to get, let's say, cleanings for treatment of gingivitis, when you get deeper cleanings for the treatment of gum disease, when it was used as an adjunct to treatment, it resulted in significant clinical improvements, specifically in reducing probing depths, highlighting its potential as a great beneficial treatment in managing chronic periodontitis. Especially if you have a good tasting candy, it's much better to use that instead of using, let's say, toxic chlorhexidine rinses. L Rhamnosis has been found to inhibit the adherence of harmful bacteria such as Staph aureus or even salmonella to epithelial cells, showcasing its potential in preventing the growth of bad bacteria. That's one of the reasons why I like it. Also for periodontal disease, which oftentimes is accompanied by the growth of pathogenic or disease causing bacteria. What is of interest is also the studies in Candida al. Rhamnosis is effective in inhibiting the growth of Candida albicans by preventing the adhesion of oral epithelial cells and inducing metabolic changes that reduces Candida's virulence. So for those patients that you know, you might look in the mirror, you have a white coated tongue or you have redness at the corner of your lips. That's actually what Candida overgrowth looks like in the mouth. So I highly encourage you to start incorporating, you know, a chewable probiotic in your daily routine at least twice a day. For those with Candida, probably four times a day is more beneficial. And then take your tongue and rub it across the surfaces of the teeth in the front and also like the corners of your mouth, especially for those of you that have that redness at the corners of the mouth. Shortly after starting to use a chewable probiotic, you will notice that the coat, the white coating on your tongue actually starts to dissipate and your tongue will become more pink, which is an evidence that the microbiome is changing. And of course, in the dental office we can do testing to see, do you have Candida? Do you have, you know, growth of bacteria? We do a saliva test, but if you're listening to this, you can easily just watch for the changes in the mouth. More studies on Lactobacillus rhamnosus. Research has shown that short term consumption of L. Rhamnosis via lozenge can reduce the counts of oral pathogens such as aa, P. Gingivalis and Strep Mut mutants. And for those of you that don't want to remember these names, A.A. and P. Gingivalis are aggressive periodontal pathogens or bugs that cause periodontal disease. So S. Mutans is the bacteria that causes cavities. So Aloe rhamnosis has a beneficial role in supporting oral health and preventing dental cavities. For Lactobacillus reuteri, Planterum brevis, there's numerous studies related to oral health. These strains are well known for their health benefits, including GI health for people that have bloating or they're trying to replenish their microbiome of the gut, and also they are potential immune modulators. Their role in oral health, particularly in the balance of the oral microbiome and protecting against oral pathogens, is an area of growing research Lactobacillus salivarius is another promising probiotic strain for oral health, known for its ability to produce bacteriosins that can inhibit pathogenic bacteria. Although specific study weren't cited, this strain is commonly researched for its potential in improving oral health, removing bad bacteria, reducing halitosis and manage periodontal disease. The journey into the world of oral probiotic is just beginning. The safety of these oral probiotics has definitely been proven. The worst it can do for you is have no effect because probably there's a bigger underlying problem there. But for the healthy individual that just maybe has a little bit of bad breath, you have good oral hygiene. Incorporating a tropical probiotic after your hygiene regimen is hugely recommended by me because I have definitely seen the difference in my patients in reducing cavities, reducing gum inflammation and bad breath. With the evidence we have so far is promising. Ongoing research is crucial to unlocking the full potential of these microscopic allies. I encourage you to consider the role that probiotics can play in your health regimen and stay tuned as we continue to explore the cutting edge of wellness. As I say, there's three steps to optimum oral health to renew and restore your mouth, brush, water, floss and top in a chewable probiotic. Thank you for joining us. Don't forget to visit our website@aurasana.com for more information on chewable probiotics. We have a resource tab that we constantly post research not only for oral health, but probiotic research where it relates to the whole body. Until next time, keep smiling and stay healthy. Thank you so much for joining me this week. Please make sure you check out the show notes for any links mentioned in the show. If you like today's show, please invite your friends to listen as well. That would mean a lot to me. Do you have a question? Question you'd like me to answer? Message me on Instagram @Dr. Sanda. This is Dr. Sanda. And remember, your mouth is the gateway to your health. So take care of it in the most natural and best way possible.