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Clinical efficacy of Lactobacillus reuteri-containing lozenges in the supportive therapy of generalized periodontitis stage III and IV, grade C: 1-year results of a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled pilot study

Clinical Oral Investigations volume 24, pages 2015–2024 (2020)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective

The aim of this 12-month mono-centre double-blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical study was to evaluate the efficacy of Lactobacillus reuteri-containing lozenges during the supportive therapy of generalized periodontitis stage III and IV, grade C (GPIII-IVC) patients.

Material and methods

Twenty treated GPIII-IVC patients were randomly divided into 2 groups. The test group received two 3-month-long administrations of L. reuteri (2 lozenges/day after brushing) with a 3-month washout period, while the control one received a placebo. Outcome measures were tooth survival, complications and adverse events, change in probing pockets depth (PPD), change in probing attachment level (PAL), presence of bleeding on probing (BOP) and patient’s evaluation of treatment. Measurements were collected at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months.

Results

At 1 year, no dropout, tooth loss, complications or adverse event were recorded. Mean PPD and mean PAL and percentages of sites with BOP were statistically improved (p < 0.05) compared with baseline in both groups, while more PPD reduction at all time points (p < 0.05) and more PAL gain at 6 months and more BOP reduction at 6 and 9 months were found in the probiotic group (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Within the limitation of the study, the use of L. reuteri probiotics lozenges improved some clinical outcomes in treated GPIII-IVC patients during maintenance therapy. Studies with a larger number of patients are needed to confirm these data.

Clinical relevance

The use of L. reuteri probiotic lozenges could be considered as an adjunct in the maintenance therapy of GPIII-IVC patients.

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Fig. 1

Notes

  1. Hu-Friedy, Chicago, IL, USA.

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Funding

The study was partially funded with a research grant from NOOS that provided free the probiotic involved in the study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Dentistry, Dentistry Department, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Olgettina n 48, 20132, Milan, Italy

    Maria Gabriella Grusovin & Enrico Felice Gherlone

  2. Section of Periodontics, School of Dentistry, Department of Surgical Specialties, Radiological Science and Public Health, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123, Brescia, Italy

    Simone Bossini, Gianluca Garzetti, Eleonara Scotti & Magda Mensi

  3. Unit of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123, Brescia, Italy

    Stefano Calza & Veronica Cappa

Authors
  1. Maria Gabriella Grusovin
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  2. Simone Bossini
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  3. Stefano Calza
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maria Gabriella Grusovin.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. Author MGG has received a research grant from company Noos, who provided to the University free the probiotic used in the study. However, data belonged to the authors and by no means, the company interfered with the conduct of the study

Ethical approval

All procedure involving humans have been approved by the institutional ethics committee of the University of Brescia (protocol n 0059683 NP 1473) and have been performed in accordance with the ethical standards as laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Grusovin, M.G., Bossini, S., Calza, S. et al. Clinical efficacy of Lactobacillus reuteri-containing lozenges in the supportive therapy of generalized periodontitis stage III and IV, grade C: 1-year results of a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled pilot study. Clin Oral Invest 24, 2015–2024 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00784-019-03065-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00784-019-03065-x

Keywords

  • Periodontitis
  • Probiotics
  • Lactobacillus reuteri
  • Clinical efficacy