BLIS K12® Found to Support Oral Hygiene, Reducing the Severity of Halitosis

This randomized, controlled clinical trial was conducted by Jamali et al (Faculty of Dentistry, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences) on 208 male and female children between the ages of 6 and 9 years and exhibiting mild-to-strong oral malodor, as recorded by experienced examiners. The children did not have compromised oral health, and were otherwise healthy.

The children were divided into four groups (n=52 each), with each group assigned a designated degree of oral hygiene: Group A, conventional (brushing/flossing) oral hygiene (COH); Group B, COH plus tongue scraping (TS); Group C, COH,TS plus chlorhexidine wash (CHX); Group D, COH, TS, CHX, plus BLIS K12 probiotic (1 slow-dissolving tablet daily containing >1 x 10⁹ colony forming units). Malodor was assessed using the organoleptic test (OLT), considered as the gold standard for measuring bad breath. The OLT assessment was taken for all groups at one week and three months after the initiation of the interventions.

The investigators reported that children in Group D demonstrated superior OLT scores at the 1-week (vs Groups A and B; P<0.001) and 3-month (vs Groups A, B, and C; P˜0.02) follow-up examinations. Group D had a clinically meaningful number of participants (78%) showing major and moderate levels of improvement in OLT scores, compared to Groups A (20%), B (43%) and C (45%) at the 3-month follow-up. Overall, parental satisfaction regarding their child’s halitosis was 91% for Group D, which reflected an approximate 96% subject response rate (slight-to-major improvements in OLT score). This study is consistent with earlier research performed in adults, and supports the consideration of S. salivarius K12 following oral disinfection as a complimentary approach for longer-term control of oral malodor.

Dr. Joseph L. Evans, Executive Manager Research & Development, Stratum Nutrition, comments on the study:  “Using the gold standard assessment of oral malodor, a study design that more closely approximates real-world protocols recommended by dentists, and a clinically meaningful group size, the investigators have found that add-on supplementation with BLIS K12® significantly reduced oral malodor, to varying degrees, in virtually every child. While a broad-spectrum, anti-bacterial mouthwash might exhibit a short-term benefit for oral malodor in selected individuals, chronic use is not recommended as it increases the risk of side effects, likely alters the composition of the oral bacterial microbiome, and apparently loses efficacy, as reported in this study.”

BLIS K12® is a unique strain of Streptococcus salivarius, a bacterial species commonly found in the oral cavity of healthy individuals. Supporting a beneficial microbiome in the oral cavity through BLIS K12® supplementation can be one of the best ways to maintain continued optimal oral hygiene and upper respiratory health. For more information on this study and others, please contact Dr. Joseph Evans at Joseph.Evans@StratumNutrition.com.

Citation: Jamali Z, Aminabadi N A, Samiei M, Deljavan A S, Shokravi M and Shirazi S. (2016) Impact of Chlorhexidine Pretreatment Followed by Probiotic Streptococcus salivarius Strain K12 on Halitosis in Children: A Randomised Controlled Clinical Trial. Oral Health & Preventive Dentistry, 14(4):305-313. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27508274

About Blis Technologies
Blis Technologies is the manufacturer of oral probiotic products based on the natural human mouth bacterium Streptococcus salivarius.  Stratum Nutrition is the exclusive North American distributor of BLIS probiotic products including BLIS K12 and BLIS M18.  BLIS K12® is a probiotic member of the bacterial species Streptococcus salivarius developed in Dunedin, New Zealand for the support of oral and upper respiratory health. Visit Stratum Nutrition’s website for more information on BLIS K12®.