Toothpaste has been an integral part of an everyday oral healthcare regimen for many years. Throughout the world, people use various types of toothpaste to help them clean and protect their teeth and gums from decay and gum diseases.
However, with the advancements in dental technology, toothpaste formulations are evolving, paving the way for even more helpful types with additional benefits.
One of these new advancements in toothpaste formulation is the addition of probiotics. These types of toothpaste have been said to be the best for oral microbiome. But is this all true? Why is it any better than traditional toothpaste?
This post comprehensively takes you through toothpaste with probiotics and how useful they are and also highlights a few factors to consider when selecting the best toothpaste for oral microbiome.
How Are Probiotics Beneficial to Oral Health?
Probiotics are microorganisms that provide various health benefits to the human body, whether introduced to the body orally or topically. In the mouth, probiotics play a key role in maintaining a healthy oral microbiome, which is crucial for oral health.
The oral microbiome is the collection of billions of microorganisms in the mouth. These microorganisms play an essential role in maintaining our oral health by breaking down food particles, killing harmful bacteria, and neutralizing harmful acids.
When the ideal balance of the oral ecosystem and microbiome gets disrupted, you may start getting oral health issues like bad breath and gum diseases.
Probiotics help to restore and maintain the balance of the oral microbiome by introducing helpful bacteria, which eventually compete with the bad bacteria for space and survival.
Here are some other benefits of prebiotic toothpaste benefits for our oral health:
- Reducing bad breath: Probiotics can help to reduce the number of odor-causing bacteria in our mouths, which can help to reduce bad breath.
- Preventing cavities: Probiotics can help to balance the bacteria in our mouths, which can help to prevent cavities.
- Reducing gum inflammation: Probiotics have been shown to reduce inflammation in the gums, which can help to prevent gum disease.
- Promoting healthy teeth: Probiotics can help to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in the mouth, which can help to maintain healthy teeth.
What Is Toothpaste with Probiotics?
Toothpaste with probiotics contains live bacteria, mostly from the Lactobacillus and Streptococcus strains. This type of toothpaste promotes oral health and boosts oral microbiome.
Our mouth is home to billions of microorganisms, mostly fungi, viruses, and bacteria. The bacteria take a larger chunk of the space in our mouths.
Teeth brushing and dental health are directly correlated, as it helps us to get rid of bacteria in the mouth and keep our mouths safe.
However, just like your gut, we have good and bad bacteria. The good bacteria is harmless and helpful in numerous ways that maintain the health of your oral cavity.
Unfortunately, traditional toothpaste, including homemade toothpaste, gets rid of all bacteria, including the good ones.
Using toothpaste with probiotics can help to provide the oral health benefits of probiotics in a convenient and easy-to-use format. Toothpaste with probiotics is designed to deliver the beneficial bacteria directly to the mouth, where they can work to support oral health.
4 Best Toothpaste for Oral Microbiome
There are numerous companies and brands that have developed toothpaste specifically formulated to support the oral microbiome. Some of the top ones include:
ProBiora Health is a dental brand that focuses on oral probiotics. The company’s ProBioraPro toothpaste contains the probiotic strain Streptococcus oralis.
The strain used has been shown to reduce harmful bacteria in the mouth and support gum health. Moreover, it also contains xylitol and fluoride to prevent cavities and promote healthy teeth.
Hyperbiotics is quickly gaining global recognition for their probiotic toothpaste called Pro-Enamel. This oral microbiome toothpaste contains the strain Lactobacillus paracasei, which is known to support a healthy oral microbiome.
Furthermore, it is free from sulfates, fluoride, and artificial flavors, and instead contains natural ingredients like coconut oil, aloe vera, and baking soda.
Livionex Dental Gel contains a proprietary blend of activated edathamil, an ingredient that disrupts the biofilm of harmful bacteria in the mouth.
The toothpaste also contains a probiotic blend of Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Streptococcus oralis to support a healthy oral microbiome.
It is fluoride-free and is gentle enough to use on sensitive teeth.
Boka toothpaste is made with natural ingredients like green tea, cranberry, and erythritol, which promote a healthy oral microbiome. It also contains fluoride to prevent cavities and is free from sulfates, parabens, and artificial flavors.
These toothpaste options are designed to boost the oral microbiome and contain probiotics. The prebiotic toothpaste reviews indicate that they are quite helpful in balancing the bacteria in the mouth and contain natural and other patented ingredients.
It is important to only consider getting the best mouthwash to complement these toothpaste brands and not one that can reverse the results.
Things to Consider When Choosing Toothpaste With Probiotics
Toothpaste with probiotics are not yet very popular, hence it may be a little daunting to pick the right one. However, if you are set on getting one, here are a few factors to consider when choosing the best toothpaste with probiotics:
The type of probiotic
There are various types of probiotics, so you have to ensure that the toothpaste you go for has probiotics that are specifically beneficial to your oral microbiome.
In essence, look for toothpaste that contains either Lactobacillus or Streptococcus strains, as they are widely known to promote oral health.
Consider the additional ingredients
Toothpaste with probiotics may also contain additional ingredients. Ensure that none of those extra ingredients can counter the work of the probiotics or reverse their impacts.
Some popular additional ingredients that you may find in most probiotic toothpaste brands is xylitol, a natural sweetener that can help prevent tooth decay. Essential oils can also be added to the toothpaste for fresher breath and reverse inflammation.
Brand reputation
Most brands that manufacture toothpaste with probiotics may still be deemed young in the industry.
However, this should not limit you from performing your due diligence to ensure that the toothpaste you get is from a reputable brand that has been clinically tested and proven effective.
Fluoride composition
Ensure that the probiotic toothpaste you settle for has the right concentration or percentage of fluoride recommended or ideal for your age group.
Consider hydroxyapatite toothpaste
Hydroxyapatite is a naturally occurring compound found in your teeth and forms the building block for your tooth enamel, dentin, and cementum.
Some brands are now replacing fluoride with hydroxyapatite, including brands that have probiotic toothpaste. After all, if you want to go natural, it is best to go all in.
Besides these key factors, you may also want to consider the kind of toothbrush you will be using and ensure your toothpaste can be supported. This is because when considering electric toothbrush vs manual ones, there are toothpaste gels that may not be supported on electric toothbrushes.
FAQ
Probiotic toothpaste can be good for you as it contains beneficial bacteria that can help support a healthy oral microbiome and reduce harmful bacteria.
Some good bacteria-boosting toothpaste options include ProBiora Health, Hyperbiotics Pro-Enamel, and Livionex Dental Gel, which all contain probiotics and other beneficial ingredients.
Prebiotic toothpaste helps promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the mouth by providing the nutrients they need to thrive. This can help support a healthy oral microbiome and reduce the risk of dental problems like cavities and gum disease.
Sources
- A critical appraisal of the effects of probiotics on oral health. (2020). Retrieved 26 March 2023, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464620302097
- Probiotics: A Promising Role in Dental Health. (2017). Retrieved 26 March 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5806962/
- Probiotics and Oral Disease : An Update. (2011). Retrieved 26 March 2023, from https://platform.almanhal.com/GoogleScholar/Details/?ID=2-21358
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