EFFECTS OF BIFIDOBACTERIUM LACTIS BB12 PROBIOTIC CONSUMPTION ON STREPTOCOCCUS MUTANS LEVELS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIALS

Introduction: One of the main bacteria related to dental caries is Streptococcus mutans, and currently, various studies are evaluating how to decrease its count. The effect and efficacy of probiotic consumption as a method to inhibit this bacterium are currently being analyzed. Objective: To evaluate the effect of the probiotic Bifidobacterium lactis BB12 (BB12) in its different presentations on Streptococcus mutans (SM) levels in children and adults. Materials and Methods: An electronic search was conducted in the PubMed, Scopus, EBSCO, and EMBASE databases to find randomized clinical trials that evaluated the effect of the probiotic BB12 on SM levels. Results: Studies demonstrated an association between the consumption of BB12 and the reduction of SM count. Conclusions: Further studies are needed to analyze the effect of the probiotic BB12 on SM, particularly studies investigating larger study populations and conducted over longer study periods.