Clinical and Microbiological Investigation of the Effects of Probiotics Combined with Scaling and Root Planing in the Management of Chronic Periodontitis: A Randomized, Controlled Study.

AIM: To assess the adjunctive effect of probiotics to scaling and root planing in the management of chronic periodontitis. MATERIALS and METHODS: Thirty systemically healthy subjects in the age range of 20 - 55 years suffering from chronic generalized periodontitis were selected and randomly assigned to a control group of patients who received scaling and root planing (SRP) alone, or a test group of patients who received SRP supplemented with probiotic administration, i.e., Bifilac lozenges. The following baseline clinical parameters were recorded at selected teeth: plaque index, gingival index, probing pocket depth and relative attachment level. Microbiological counts of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella intermedia were assessed in pooled subgingival plaque samples. The parameters were recorded again at 30 days, 45 days and 3 months from baseline. RESULTS: Statistically significant reductions were observed for plaque index, gingival index, and probing pocket depth, and a significant gain in relative attachment level in both groups. Microbiological analysis showed significant reduction for P. gingivalis at all recall intervals in the test group compared to controls. The intergroup comparison for differences in mean counts of P. gingivalis was found to be significant for the test group at 3 months (p = 0.028). CONCLUSION: Probiotics can be considered as a potentially safe and effective adjunct to scaling and root planing in the management of chronic periodontitis.