The mouth, like the rest of the gastrointestinal tract, is heavily colonized by bacteria. The gingival crevice between the teeth and the gums / gingivae offers a unique niche for colonization of bacteria. Gum disease or 'periodontitis' is largely attributed to a microbial etiology along with recent observations on the role of the host response. Hence, periodontal therapy has traditionally focused on the reduction of the bacterial threat. This, however, disrupts the microbial ecological balance.

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... Probiotics is a newer treatment approach that focuses on restoring the reduced numbers of beneficial bacteria. Methods: The present study intended to evaluate the effect of probiotic capsule administration in 20 patients each with gingivitis and periodontitis. 'Cases' received probiotic capsule and oral prophylaxis while the remaining ten patients received only oral prophylaxis and served as 'Controls' in each of the gingivitis / periodontitis groups. Plaque, Bleeding and Gingival Indices, Pocket probing depth along with GCF samples for estimation of Myeloperoxide and Thiol antioxidants were recorded at baseline and one month after treatment. Results: Improvement of clinical parameters as well as increase in GCF thiol and decreased myeloperoxidase concentrations was observed in the groups with probiotics. Discussion: A greater reduction in plaque scores in the cases may be attributed to probiotic induced reduced microbial colonization. Probiotic species effectively reduce the level of inflammation associated molecules, such as prostaglandin E2 and interferon C and MMP activity. It may be plausible that by modulating these factors, probiotics can lead to improvement of the periodontal parameters. Conclusion: Hence, probiotic supplementation along with scaling and root planing may be an effective adjunct for periodontal therapy. Keywords: Antioxidants, capsule, gingival crevicular fluid, gingivitis, periodontitis, probiotics