The Effectiveness of probiotics in preventing and managing dental caries and gingival health in children aged 1–18 years: A systematic review and meta-analysis | ||||
| Microbes and Infectious Diseases | ||||
| Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 13 March 2025 | ||||
| Document Type: Systematic review or meta-analysis | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/mid.2025.348985.2421 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Authors | ||||
Ehab Qasim Talib   1; Ahmed Qasim Talib 2; Ansam Zuhair Najm 1; Aws Fakhri Alzwghaibi 1
| ||||
| 1Department of Basic Sciences, College of Dentistry, Al-Iraqia University, Baghdad, Iraq | ||||
| 2Department of Restorative dentistry, College of Dentistry, Ashur University, Baghdad, Iraq. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Background: The impact of probiotics, particularly Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, on pediatric oral health has been increasingly studied. Purpose: This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to evaluate the effectiveness of probiotics, particularly Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, in preventing dental caries and improving periodontal health in children. By focusing on measurable outcomes such as Streptococcus mutans reduction, caries incidence, and gingival inflammation, the study seeks to determine the role of probiotics as a preventive and therapeutic intervention in pediatric oral health. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed and Google Scholar, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Embase from 2014 to 2024 using key terms: "Probiotics," "Oral health," "Childhood," "Lactobacillus," and "Bifidobacterium". Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included to ensure high-quality evidence on the effectiveness of probiotics in pediatric oral health. Results: Out of 28,103 studies identified, 5 met the inclusion criteria. Probiotic supplementation, particularly with Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, resulted in a 20% reduction in dental caries incidence (RR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.65-0.95, p < 0.05) and a 15% improvement in gingival health (RR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.70-1.00, p = 0.04). These findings suggest a significant role for probiotics in both caries prevention and periodontal disease management in pediatric populations. Conclusion: Probiotics, particularly Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, demonstrated significant effectiveness in reducing dental caries incidence by 20% and improving gingival health by 15% in children. These findings support the potential role of probiotics in preventing and managing pediatric dental caries and periodontal diseases. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Probiotics; Oral health; Childhood; Lactobacillus; Bifidobacterium | ||||
|
Statistics Article View: 331 |
||||
