What are your oral microbiome + oral health + periodontal exam scores/how deep are your gum pockets?

#21

I used the brand called Biogaia.

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#22

This area of probiotics for oral health was a new one for me - so I checked with CGPT5.

Prompt:

What is the scientific and clinical evidence that bacterial strains of L. reuteri probiotics could be helpful for oral or gum health?

Response

Here’s the short, practical read on L. reuteri (now “Limosilactobacillus reuteri”) for gums/oral health—what’s been tested, what it helps, and how strong the evidence is.

What’s been tested (strains & formats)

  • Most dental studies use the dual-strain combo: L. reuteri DSM 17938 + ATCC PTA 5289 (often as slow-dissolving lozenges, 1–2×/day for 3–12 weeks), sometimes labeled “Prodentis.” (MDPI)
  • EFSA confirms these strains/lozenges are well-characterized (not a health claim, just identity/quality). (EFSA Journal)

Where it helps (and how much)

Periodontitis (adjunct to cleaning/SRP)

  • Randomized trials: Adding L. reuteri lozenges to scaling & root planing (SRP) produced extra reductions in probing pocket depth (PPD) and better clinical attachment gain, especially in moderate/deep pockets, versus SRP alone. Also reduced P. gingivalis levels. (PubMed)
  • Residual pockets during maintenance: A KU Leuven RCT found the dual-strain L. reuteri improved outcomes of residual pockets during supportive care. (PMC)
  • Systematic reviews/meta-analyses: Multiple syntheses (2023–2025) conclude adjunctive L. reuteri can modestly improve PPD, bleeding on probing (BOP), and sometimes clinical attachment level (CAL) at ~3 months—though heterogeneity is high and not every trial is positive. (MDPI)
  • Supportive periodontal therapy (SPT): A 2025 quadruple-blind RCT with guided biofilm therapy found BOP reductions but advised not to recommend as standard adjunct for all SPT cases. (PMC)

Takeaway for periodontitis: Best evidence is as an adjunct (not a replacement) to professional debridement. Expect small-to-moderate extra improvements in inflamed/deeper sites over ~3 months; long-term durability is less certain. (MDPI)

Peri-implant diseases

  • Mucositis / peri-implantitis: Double-blind trials show added reductions in BOP and PPD when L. reuteri accompanies mechanical therapy. Meta-analyses of probiotics for peri-implant disease support benefit as adjunct, but evidence remains mixed across strains/studies. (PubMed)

Gingivitis (without periodontitis)

  • RCTs in adolescents/adults show improvements in plaque/gingival indices over 4–12 weeks, but effects are inconsistent and generally smaller than in periodontitis. Recent meta-analysis notes uncertain benefit in simple gingivitis; more trials needed. (PMC)

Halitosis

  • Broad probiotic reviews (including L. reuteri) show short-term reductions in volatile sulfur compounds/odor scores, but protocols and strains vary; evidence is tentative. (PMC)

How it likely works

  • Microbial competition + reuterin (from DSM 17938) suppress periopathogens; immunomodulation (PTA 5289) lowers inflammatory cytokines; reported reductions in P. gingivalis in saliva/subgingival plaque. (MDPI)

Typical protocols used in trials

  • Dual-strain lozenge (DSM 17938 + ATCC PTA 5289), dissolved slowly 1–2×/day for 3–12 weeks, often starting at/after SRP. Some studies repeated short courses during maintenance. (Specific CFU per lozenge varies by product; trials commonly used commercially available lozenges.) (PubMed)

Safety & tolerability

  • Generally well tolerated; most common issues are mild GI symptoms (gas/bloating). Serious events are rare in immunocompetent adults. (PMC)

How strong is the overall case?

  • Supported: As an adjunct to SRP for periodontitis (extra improvements at ~3 months, most consistent in deeper pockets). (PubMed)
  • Promising but mixed: Peri-implant mucositis/itis; maintenance phases. (PubMed)
  • Uncertain: Stand-alone use for gingivitis or halitosis (benefits are smaller and inconsistent). (BioMed Central)
  • Guideline vibe: Contemporary reviews highlight potential adjunctive value but stop short of universal recommendation due to heterogeneity and variable durability. (Nature)

Practical use (if you decide to try it)

  1. Use with debridement: Pair with professional cleaning/SRP; maintain meticulous daily hygiene. That’s where the signal is strongest. (PubMed)
  2. Pick the studied strains: Look specifically for DSM 17938 + ATCC PTA 5289 in a lozenge designed to dissolve slowly in the mouth. (MDPI)
  3. Course length: 8–12 weeks around therapy is common in trials; some clinicians repeat during maintenance if pockets/BOP persist. (PMC)
  4. Monitor outcomes: Expect at best modest extra gains in PPD/BOP; reassess at ~12 weeks. If no change, discontinue. (MDPI)
  5. Safety: Avoid in severely immunocompromised patients or those with central lines. Watch for mild GI side effects. (PMC)

If you want, tell me your exact gum/implant situation (periodontitis stage, pocket depths, recent SRP, maintenance schedule), and I’ll map a trial-style course and what improvements would be clinically meaningful for you to look for.

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#23

In my case my n-1 experiment was to let one lozenge dissolve slowly in my mouth, right before sleep and after the evening oral regim. My thinking was that this approach maybe could accelerate the oral colonization.