The influence of a probiotic milk drink on the development of gingivitis: a pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a probiotic milk drink on gingival health and the development of experimental gingivitis.


METHODS
Fifty volunteer students took part in a parallel-designed non-blinded study. The test group drank a probiotic drink once a day; the control group did not receive any product to drink. After 8 weeks, individual mechanical plaque control was interrupted for 96 h. Papilla bleeding index, interproximal plaque and Turesky plaque index (PI) were recorded at baseline, after 8 weeks and again 96 h later. At the same time points, gingival crevicular fluid had been collected for analysis of polymorphonuclear elastase, myeloperoxidase (MPO) and matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3).


RESULTS
Interproximal PI and papillary bleeding were not different between the groups. In the test group, elastase activity and MMP-3 amount were significantly lower after the intake of the probiotic milk drink (p<0.001 and 0.016). There was a significant increase of MPO activity in the control group; both groups were different at the end of the study (p=0.014).


CONCLUSIONS
The data suggest a beneficial effect of the probiotic milk drink on gingival inflammation.
Staab
Benedict
B
Department of Conservative Dentistry and Periodontology, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Eick
Sigrun
S
Knöfler
Gerhild
G
Jentsch
Holger
H
D000818:Animals; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000209:etiology; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D005260:Female; D005883:Gingival Crevicular Fluid / Q000201:enzymology; D005884:Gingival Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D019278:Matrix Metalloproteinase 3 / Q000032:analysis; D008892:Milk; D010512:Periodontal Index; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000032:analysis; D010865:Pilot Projects; D019936:Probiotics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D055815:Young Adult
D009195:Peroxidase; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase; C511768:MMP3 protein, human; D019278:Matrix Metalloproteinase 3