ABSTRACT

To examine the effect of short-term consumption of probiotic yoghurt, Indian curd, and ultra-heated yoghurt as placebo on the levels of salivary and plaque Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) in children undergoing fixed interceptive orthodontic therapy.

A placebo-controlled double-blind study was carried out in a total of 30 children (8-15 years). The S. mutans level in the plaque and saliva were taken at the baseline and 2 weeks after the initiation of fixed orthodontic treatment by Dentocult SM kits. An equal number of participants randomized in three groups were asked to ingest 200 g of yoghurt containing Lactobacillus acidophilus La-1 and La-2 (>1×109 cfu/mL) once daily, Indian curd, or ultra-heated control yoghurt without viable bacteria and were followed for the S. mutans level after 2 weeks.

A significant reduction in salivary S. mutans levels was recorded after probiotic yoghurt ingestion (p=0.001) in addition to a reduction in the plaque S. mutans, which was observed after Indian curd consumption (p=0.026).

Our findings suggest that short-term daily consumption of probiotic yoghurt along with Indian curd may help to reduce the levels of S. mutans in the saliva and plaque in children undergoing interceptive fixed orthodontic therapy.