Doctor Reviews: ProDentim

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ProDentim promises to be a game-changer in dental health, boasting a blend of probiotics aimed at keeping your teeth in top shape. The idea is simple: maintaining a healthy balance of bacteria in your mouth is key to preserving your pearly whites. To support their claim, they point to fossils where teeth have stood the test of time, contrasting sharply with our modern-day struggle against decay.

However, this pitch might not be as solid as it seems. Fossils don’t exactly offer a fair comparison. They endure centuries of mineralization, essentially turning into stone, which shields them from decay. It’s not that they’re immune to harmful bacteria or sugary treats; they’ve just undergone a dramatic transformation over time.

ProDentim also warns against the potential harm of everyday dental products like toothpaste and mouthwash, citing a reference article to back their stance. But does the evidence hold up? Can these products really disrupt the delicate balance of bacteria in your mouth?

ProDentim’s Claims

Bacteria and dental health

Let’s talk about bacteria and your teeth. It’s crucial to understand how the bacteria in our mouths affect our dental health before we dive into ProDentim’s claims. According to an article, having a healthy mix of bacteria in your mouth can indeed contribute to good dental hygiene.

This isn’t a revolutionary idea. It’s similar to how a healthy gut microbiome helps with gut health, or how a balanced skin biome keeps your skin happy.

Now, it’s worth noting that studies have highlighted the importance of the oral microbiome long before this article came along.

However, ProDentim’s focus on oral bacteria might oversimplify things. Sure, oral bacteria matter, but they’re just a piece of the puzzle. Other factors like brushing habits, diet, genetics, and health conditions also play a big role in oral health. So, even if you load up on probiotics, neglecting oral hygiene and chowing down on sugary treats won’t do your teeth any favors.

Mouthwash and dental health

Ever wondered if your mouthwash or toothpaste could be doing more harm than good? According to the article, using strong mouthwashes to kill off bacteria might upset the natural balance of good bacteria in your mouth.

And there’s truth to this idea. In fact, the notion that mouthwash might not be all that necessary and could even mess with your mouth’s natural bacteria isn’t exactly new.

Evidence suggests that overusing certain mouthwashes, like ones containing chlorhexidine, could actually make things worse over time. Why? Well, the article suggests that constantly using chlorhexidine might make the bad bacteria in your mouth resistant to it, making them harder to kill off. Plus, most studies recommend against relying solely on chlorhexidine mouthwash to prevent cavities, since it might not do the job well enough. Turns out, mouthwash might not penetrate the biofilm layer in your mouth deep enough to wipe out all the bad bacteria.

Toothpaste and dental health

The article points out that it’s probably best to give mouthwash a pass, especially ones with chlorhexidine, as they could mess with the balance of good bacteria in your mouth. But here’s the thing – the article doesn’t mention toothpaste in the same breath. It’s only mouthwashes, particularly those with chlorhexidine, that might pose a problem for your mouth’s natural bacteria. There’s zero evidence to suggest that toothpaste is harmful to your mouth’s bacteria, despite what ProDentim claims.

Probiotics for dental health

We already know that the bacteria in our mouths play a big role in our oral health. But can popping probiotics make a difference? The article talks about one bacterium, Streptococcus dentisani, that could be helpful. But here’s the kicker – ProDentim doesn’t include this bacterium. So, let’s take a closer look at the probiotic strains in ProDentim to see if there’s any solid scientific research backing up their ability to improve oral health in us humans.

Ingredients of ProDentim

Let’s dive into what makes up ProDentim. This dental health supplement boasts four probiotic bacteria: a standard strain of Lactobacillus Paracasei, a typical strain of Lactobacillus Reuteri, a specific strain of Bifidobacterium Lactis known as BL-04, and a standard strain of Streptococcus salivarius.

Lactobacillus Paracasei

Starting with Lactobacillus Paracasei, research findings are quite interesting. One study observed that giving infants a particular strain called LF19 from 4 to 13 months old didn’t reduce the risk of cavities in their baby or adult teeth.

However, a different study that administered another strain, SD1, to children once daily for six months did show a decrease in cavities.

Yet another study involving adults taking a different specific strain, LPc-G110, three times daily after meals found no decrease in gingival bleeding.

So, here’s the deal – these studies looked at Lactobacillus Paracasei, but with different strains, leading to different results. This highlights the importance of using specific strains of probiotics. Even if they’re from the same bacteria family, different strains may not deliver the same dental benefits.

The studies focused on strains LF19, SD1, and LPc-G110. Since ProDentim doesn’t specify which strain it contains, it’s likely a generic one, which might not offer the same dental advantages as the researched strains.

Lactobacillus Reuteri

Let’s talk about Lactobacillus Reuteri, another probiotic that’s been looked into for various oral issues, though the results are a bit mixed.

A meta-analysis of two studies using Lactobacillus Reuteri in chewable tablets or lozenges for 7-8 weeks didn’t find any improvement in gingivitis.

There’s also research showing that giving infants a specific strain known as ATCC 55730 from birth until they’re 12 months old doesn’t reduce dental plaque on their baby teeth by the time they’re 9 years old.

However, giving patients another strain of Lactobacillus Reuteri shortly after getting a dental implant seemed to slightly decrease gum bleeding and improve other dental health aspects. But interestingly, there wasn’t much change in the mouth’s microbial balance, hinting that the improvement might not be solely because the probiotic stuck around in the mouth.

The same strain was also given to sailors twice daily for 42 days, and it led to some minor improvements in dental health.

Once again, it boils down to the specific strain of Lactobacillus Reuteri used, as different strains can give different results. The strains focused on in these studies were ATCC 55730, ATCC PTA 5289, and DSM 17938. Since ProDentim likely uses a generic strain, it might not offer the same benefits as these studied strains.

Bifidobacterium Lactis

Let’s look into Bifidobacterium Lactis, another bacteria under the microscope for its potential impact on oral health. Unfortunately, the results aren’t overwhelmingly positive.

Studies involving infants show that giving a specific strain called BB-12 for around 15 months doesn’t decrease cavity rates by the age of 4 compared to a placebo.

Similarly, research on adolescent boys aged 13-15 years, who took two lozenges containing the same BB-12 strain twice daily for 4 weeks, didn’t see a reduction in plaque compared to a placebo.

Moreover, a small trial found that consuming a different strain called DN-173010 for 4 weeks didn’t prevent gum inflammation or plaque compared to a placebo. However, after a 5-day period without brushing, this strain did show a slight decrease in both gum inflammation and plaque formation.

The strains examined in these studies were BB-12 and DN-173010, neither of which matches the one in ProDentim. There’s no evidence suggesting that ProDentim’s strain of Bifidobacterium Lactis, BL-04, offers any benefits for dental health.

Streptococcus salivarius

Now, let’s talk about Streptococcus salivarius. In a clinical study, kids who took a specific strain called M18 saw a slight decrease in plaque scores.

Similarly, adults who took another strain known as K12 also experienced less plaque buildup after 6 weeks.

Another study that combined both strains of Streptococcus salivarius showed that adults who took this combo had a lower chance of getting cavities.

Additionally, K12 was found to help with bad breath, but only if you cleaned your tongue before using the lozenge.

The strains focused on in these studies were M18 and K12, both sold under the name BLIS. Once again, ProDentim doesn’t mention the strain it uses on its label or website.

Is ProDentim Effective?

In evaluating ProDentim’s effectiveness, it’s clear that it incorporates several probiotics studied for dental health. However, it predominantly utilizes generic strains of these probiotics. As research highlights, the specific strain of probiotic plays a crucial role in its effectiveness for dental health.

Using a different strain can lead to significantly different results. Since ProDentim doesn’t specify or contain any of the specifically researched strains, it’s uncertain whether it provides the researched benefits. It’s likely that these generic strains in ProDentim offer minimal to no benefits for oral health compared to their well-researched counterparts. Hence, it seems improbable that ProDentim effectively promotes oral health.

Is ProDentim worth it?

If you’re considering ProDentim, it’s essential to weigh its value. To achieve what ProDentim claims, seeking probiotics with the specific researched strains is advisable. Among these strains, Streptococcus salivarius M18 and K12, sold under the name BLIS, are easily accessible and backed by consistent evidence of improving dental health.

However, it’s crucial to note that even with these probiotics, the overall benefits are marginal, and they should not replace proper toothbrushing and good oral hygiene practices.

Overall rating

Rating ProDentim by effectiveness for improving dental health, I’m giving it a D. While the types of probiotics they use have been researched for oral health before, it’s unlikely that the generic and unlisted strains they use will be helpful.

Rating it by cost, I’m giving it a D. You can get far more effective strains for much cheaper.

Rating it for safety, I’m giving it a B. These probiotic strains appear to be relatively safe to use.

Overall rating, I’m giving it a D. I would not recommend it at all.

Top alternatives to ProDentim

• S. salivarius K12 – 1 to 4 lozenge / day
• S. salivarius K12+M18 – 1 to 2 lozenge / day

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