Effects of probiotic Lactobacillus salivarius WB21 on halitosis and oral health: an open-label pilot trial.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to evaluate whether oral administration of lactobacilli alters the degree of halitosis and clinical conditions associated with halitosis.


METHODS
Twenty patients with genuine halitosis were given 2.0 x 10(9)Lactobacillus salivarius WB21 and xylitol in tablet form daily. Oral malodor and clinical parameters were evaluated at the same time of day for each patient after 2 and 4 weeks.


RESULTS
All 20 patients were positive for L. salivarius DNA in their saliva at 2 weeks, although 12 patients were negative for this organism at baseline. Oral malodor parameters significantly decreased at 2 weeks in the subjects with physiologic halitosis. The scores of an organoleptic test and bleeding on probing significantly decreased at 4 weeks in the subjects with oral pathologic halitosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Oral administration of probiotic lactobacilli primarily improved physiologic halitosis and also showed beneficial effects on bleeding on probing from the periodontal pocket.
Iwamoto
Tomoyuki
T
Section of General Dentistry, Department of General Dentistry, Fukuoka Dental College, Fukuoka, Japan.
Suzuki
Nao
N
Tanabe
Kazunari
K
Takeshita
Toru
T
Hirofuji
Takao
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001944:Breath Tests; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D005260:Female; D006209:Halitosis / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007778:Lactobacillus; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000628:therapy*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016966:Porphyromonas gingivalis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018713:Prevotella intermedia / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019936:Probiotics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016986:Streptococcus sobrinus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013457:Sulfur Compounds / Q000032:analysis
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D013457:Sulfur Compounds