The application of beneficial bacteria as an adjunct to traditional therapy may become a valid, non-antibiotic treatment approach for periodontitis according to a small-scale animal study.

Researchers applied a mixture of beneficial bacteria after scaling and root planing, a concept called Guided Pocket Recolonisation (GPR). Analysis of the data showed that when beneficial bacteria were applied in periodontal pockets adjunctively after root planing, repopulation by bacteria associated with gum disease was delayed and reduced, as was the degree of inflammation, at a clinically significant level.

With the emergence of antibiotic resistance and the lack of non-antibiotic treatment options, the researchers suggest the GPR approach may provide a valuable addition or alternative to treatment options for periodontitis.

Wim Teughels, corresponding author and Professor in the Department of Periodontology at the Catholic University Leuven, Netherlands commented, 'While this investigation provides a proof of concept that the application of beneficial bacteria may supplement traditional methods of periodontal therapy, additional studies are needed to determine how this concept can be applied in the clinical practice of periodontology.'

He added that the team behind the project are continuing investigations with a focus on testing beneficial bacteria that are both helpful and non-pathogenic to humans.

The study was published in The Journal of Dental Research 2007; 86: 1078–1082.