Efecto de los probióticos en la disminución de streptococcus mutans en pacientes infantiles.

Introduction: In Pediatric Dentistry, probiotics represent a new area of research focused on Bacteriotherapy. These probiotics modulate the viability and adhesion of cariogenic bacteria by competing for adhesion on dental surfaces and modifying the surrounding environment, which helps to modulate pH. Objective: To compare the effect of short-term consumption of two strains of probiotics on the count of colony-forming units of Streptococcus mutans, as well as to assess the change in salivary pH using reagent strips in pediatric patients in an in vitro study. Materials and Methods: Two strains of probiotics were administered to 10 children aged 6-12 years with caries, randomly assigned to two groups. One group consumed a probiotic tablet (Group I), while the other group took 6 drops daily (Group II) for 28 days. pH and Streptococcus mutans counts were recorded on days 0, 15, and 28, and statistically compared using Friedman and Dunn tests. Results: A significant reduction in Streptococcus mutans was observed with the application of Lactobacillus rhamnosus LGG with Lactobacillus acidophilus (p<0.0239) between day 0 and 15, along with changes in salivary pH (p<0.0008), compared to Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12 with Lactobacillus rhamnosus LGG (p<0.0085) between day 0 and 29, with no observed changes in salivary pH. Conclusions: The combination of probiotics (Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12 with Lactobacillus rhamnosus LGG) significantly reduced Streptococcus mutans in the short term, while the combination (Lactobacillus rhamnosus LGG with Lactobacillus acidophilus) helped neutralize salivary pH parameters.