Their impact on oral health can range from reducing dental plaque-related diseases, such as caries, gingivitis and peridontitis to addressing common oral complaints such as bad breath (halitosis).
“We see a lot of evidence for different microbial markers and pathogens reduced in numbers for these conditions,” explained Dr Mette Kirstine Keller, assistant professor, School of Dentistry at the University of Copenhagen.
According to Dr Keller, more progress is required before general treatment guidelines and recommendations can be made.
“The currently available literature is promising, but clinical recommendation would be premature since large-scale clinical studies with orally derived specific candidates are still lacking,” she explained.
“In my opinion it’s just a matter of time before we get sufficient data to come up with some guidelines.”