Dental Currents - September 2009,

  Probiotics, a New Frontier in Dentistry

The term probiotics has been around for years. Essentially it is the opposite of antibiotics. ‘Biotics’ refers to bacteria, so the ‘anti’ is against bacteria and the ‘pro’ side is for the bacteria. We usually think of things such as yogurt to be a culture of friendly bacteria targeted to help balance the digestive bacteria in our gut.                   

Dentally speaking, there are over 500 types of bacteria in our mouths. Only a few of them cause damage either in the form of tooth decay or periodontal disease. We have become very successful at identifying these culprits with our phase microscope and our tooth decay activity test. Traditionally, having our dental hygienist scale your teeth plus tooth brushing and flossing at home was the only option to try to minimize all bacteria, not just the bad ones.

Some antibiotics taken in pill form are used for periodontal disease, but are ineffective against tooth decay. That is because the bacteria are outside the body, being in the mouth, while the drug is absorbed into the blood stream. Topical antibiotics in rinse form are much more effective. Over the years, most of the attention has been focused on killing and minimizing the bacteria. New research is now looking towards a probiotic approach to managing dental bacteria.

                Evora Plus is a new dental probiotic. It is a minty tasting tablet that dissolves in your mouth in about 10 seconds. It is loaded with regular oral bacteria with one difference. These bacteria can’t produce dental disease. The ones to control tooth decay can’t produce acid to initiate the decay process. The ones to control bad breath and periodontal disease hold the bad bacteria to a minimum and neutralize their ability to produce toxins to irritate the gums.

                Dental probiotics are emerging out of research in genetic engineering. At present, it is recommended to take two tablets per day because the probiotic bacteria cannot replicate themselves. In future, they may be able to reproduce, so it may be possible to spray some bacteria in the mouth of a  baby, for example, and they would never get tooth decay or periodontal disease!!!! Wait a minute, why would dentists want this??? Only kidding.

                Anyway, the secret is out now. Evora Plus is the dental probiotic. It is available in United States but Health Canada has not yet allowed it into Canada for retail sale. Hopefully soon so we’ll let you know. For those wanting to get it now without visiting the States, you can go to our web site and purchase it through drugstore.com and import it for personal use. Purchasing is very easy to do and the steps are explained on our site. I do it and I recommend it!

                In five years, probiotics could virtually eliminate the mouthwash market. In ten to fifteen years, probiotics  might halt tooth decay and periodontal disease altogether. Oral health is a goal for all of us so take your probiotics every day.

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