Probiotics in plaque reduction & gingival health maintenance...Karuppaiah R M et al Journal of International Oral Health. Sept-Oct 2013; 5(5):33-7 [ 33 ] ORIGINAL RESEARCH Evaluation of the efficacy of probiotics in plaque reduction and gingival health maintenance among school children – A Randomized Control Trial. R Muthu Karuppaiah 1 , S Shankar 2 , S Krishna Raj 3 , K Ramesh 4 , R Prakash 5 , M Kruthika 6 1 Reader, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Rajah Muthiah Dental College and Hospital, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India; 2 Reader, Department of Public Health Dentistry, KSR Institute of Dental Science and Research, Tiruchengode, Tamil Nadu, India; 3 Senior Lecturer, Department of Periodontics, Rajah Muthiah Dental College and Hospital, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India; 4 Professor, Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Vinayaka Missions Sankarachariar Dental College, Ariyanoor, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India; 5 Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, KSR Institute of Dental Science and Research, Tiruchengode, Tamil Nadu, India; 6 Post Graduate Student, Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Vinayaka Missions Sankarachariar Dental College, Ariyanoor, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India. Introduction Health is a priceless positive facet of life hence maintenance of health is of utmost importance for a productive life. Oral health is an integral part of general health which can be achieved by good oral hygiene. Oral hygiene maintenance is directly related to the control of plaque in the oral cavity. There are different methods of plaque control among which mechanical plaque control plays a major role with chemical method as an adjunct to it. 1 Chemical plaque ABSTRACT Background: Probiotics are live micro-organisms that when administered in adequate amounts confer health benefits upon the host. The impact of probiotics on oral health is relatively new with lots of research going on; the area of probiotics and periodontal disease is still in its infancy. The aim of the present trial was to evaluate the efficacy of the probiotics in plaque reduction among school children. Materials & Methods: This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled parallel design study involving 216 school children (aged 14 - 17 years): 108 as experimental subjects and 108 as controls. Complete oral prophylaxes were performed for both the control group and experimental group. The pre-intervention plaque index and gingival index were recorded one week after the prophylaxis for both groups as the baseline data. The study subjects (Group A) included curd in their daily diet for 30 days, while the control subjects (Group B) excluded curd in their diet for 30 days. The post intervention plaque index and gingival index were recorded again and statistically compared with the baseline data. Results: the intervention group (Group A) was found to have statistically significant reduction in plaque when compared to that of the control group with p <0.001 and there was no significant improvement in gingival health. Conclusion: A short-term daily ingestion of probiotics delivered via curd in diet reduced the levels of plaque. Hence if it can be promoted in the regular diet, it would help in improving the oral health among school children. Key Words: Gingivitis, Probiotics, Plaque. How to cite this article: Karuppaiah RM, Shankar S, Raj SK, Ramesh K, Prakash R, Kruthika M. Evaluation of the efficacy of probiotics in plaque reduction and gingival health maintenance among school children – A Randomized Control Trial. J Int Oral Health 2013; 5(5):33-7. Source of Support: Nil Conflict of Interest: None Declared Received: 15 th June 2013 Reviewed: 18 th July 2013 Accepted: 8 th August 2013 Address for Correspondence: Dr. R Muthu Karuppaiah. Rangaa Dental Care, No.4, Gandhi Road, Srinivasanagar, Thiruvanaikoil, Thiruchirapalli – 620005. Phone: +91 – 9488614366. Email: drmuthupcd@gmail.com