title: Comparative Evaluation of Commercially Available Freeze Dried Powdered Probiotics on Mutans Streptococci Count: A Randomized, Double Blind, Clinical Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Probiotic approaches are being considered to eliminate pathogenic microorganisms and are an alternative and promising way to combat infections by using harmless bacteria to displace pathogenic microorganisms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of commercially available freeze dried powdered probiotics on mutans streptococci count among 12-15 year-old Indian schoolchildren.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted in two phases of in-vitro (phase I) and in-vivo (phase II) study, which was a double blind, randomized and placebo controlled clinical trial. A total of 33 schoolchildren between 12-15 years were included in the study. They were randomly allocated to three groups. Group A included 11 children using freeze dried Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium bifidum and Bifidobacterium lactis. Group B included 11 children using freeze dried lactic acid bacillus only. Group C included 11 children using placebo powder. The study was conducted over a period of three weeks and examination and sampling of the subjects were done on days 0 (baseline), seven, 14 and 21.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For both the intervention groups A and B, statistically significant reduction (P<0.05) in salivary mutans streptococci counts was recorded up to the second week.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oral administration of probiotics showed a short-term effect on reduction of mutans streptococci count and showed a preventive role in caries development.
authors.affiliation: Registrar, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Government Dental College and Hospital, Shireen Bagh, Srinagar, J&K, India.
authors.forename: Asif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yousuf
authors.affiliation: Professor and Head, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Jaipur Dental College, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
authors.forename: Anup
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nagaraj
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Jaipur Dental College, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
authors.forename: Shravani
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ganta
authors.affiliation: Registrar, Department of Pedodontics, Government Dental College and Hospital, Shireen Bagh, Srinagar, J&K, India.
authors.forename: Mohsin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sidiq
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Government Dental College, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pareek
authors.affiliation: Student, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Preeti
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vishnani
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, School of Dentistry, D.Y Patil University, Mumbai, India.
authors.forename: Siddharth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Acharya
authors.affiliation: District Epidemiologist, CM & HO, District Karauli, Rajasthan, India.
authors.forename: Kushpal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Singh
keywords: Dental Caries; Probiotics; Viridans Streptococci