Abstract

Growing concerns of probiotics in recent times is due to their wide spectrum of activities with harmless effects compared to antibiotics. Live microorganisms ingested in certain quantity is beneficial for the health of human beings for their vast and versatile mechanism of actions from preventive and therapeutic action for reducing inflammation, infection and in cancer prevention by their immune stimulatory activity, anti-cancer activity and anti-microbial activity . Probiotics role in dentistry is limited and used in the treatment of various diseases is put forth in this article. Can probiotics replace antibiotics in near future in this antibiotic resistance era.

Keywords: Probiotics; Lactobacillus; Bifidobacterium B; Streptococcus salivarius subspecies; Dental caries; Periodontal diseases; IgG; IgM; NK cells; Immune stimulation; Anticancer activity

Abbreviations: WHO: World Health Organization; FAO: Food and Agriculture Organization; CFU: Colony Forming Units; TGF-β: Transforming Growth Factor Beta; IL: Interleukins; TNF α: Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha; IFN γ: Interferon Gamma; IgG, IgM, IgA: Immunoglobulin G, Immunoglobulin M, Immunoglobulin A; NK cells: Natural Killer Cells; VSC: Volatile Sulphur Compounds; CH3SH: Methyl Mercaptan; H2S: Hydrogen Sulphide; GRAS: Generally Recognized As Safe; SM: Streptococcus Mutans; PG: Porphyromonas Gingivalis; PI: Prevotella Intermedia; LGG: Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG; CA: Candida Albicans; AA: Aggregatibactor Actinomycetemcomitans; DNA: Deoxyribonucleic Acid; TH1: T Helper lymphocytic type 1; TH2: T Helper lymphocytic type 2