Assessment of the effect of probiotic curd consumption on salivary pH and streptococcus mutans counts

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial methods of controlling dental caries that include probiotic agents can play a valuable role in establishing caries control in children at moderate to high risk for developing dental caries. Several studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of use of various Probiotic products including curd. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of short-term consumption of probiotic curd containing Lactobacillus acidophilus and normal curd on salivary Streptococcus Mutans counts, as well as salivary pH. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty, caries-free, 10-12 years old children were selected and randomly allocated to two groups. Test Group consisted of 20 children who consumed 200ml of probiotic curd daily for 30 days. Control Group consisted of 20 children who were given 200ml of regular curd for 30 days. Salivary pH and salivary Streptococcus Mutans counts were recorded at baseline and after 30 days and statistically compared using the Student's t-test. RESULTS: Consumption of probiotic curd resulted in a statistically significant reduction in S. Mutans colony counts (P<0.001) as compared to regular curd. However, there was a slight reduction in pH (P>0.05) in both the groups. CONCLUSION: Short-term consumption of probiotic curds can reduce oral S. Mutans counts. However, this caused a slight reduction in salivary pH.