{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]],"date-time":"2026-07-22T15:27:40Z","timestamp":1784734060154,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,14]],"date-time":"2025-01-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1736812800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"University of Oradea, Oradea Romania"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Medicina"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background and Objectives: Periodontal inflammation, often linked to oral microbiota dysbiosis dominated by pathogenic bacteria, remains a significant challenge in periodontitis management. Traditional periodontal therapies primarily reduce the bacterial load but fail to restore the microbiota balance. Probiotics offer a promising therapeutic adjunct with their ability to enhance beneficial bacteria. This study investigates the effects of probiotics on the oral microbiota, inflammatory markers (IL-1\u03b2, TNF-\u03b1), and clinical parameters (gingival index, bleeding index, and periodontal pocket depth). Materials and Methods: In this pilot study, 80 patients with moderate-to-severe periodontitis were assigned to two groups. Group A received standard periodontal therapy (non-surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT)) with probiotic supplementation (Lactobacillus reuteri, 2 \u00d7 10\u2079 CFU daily for 8 weeks), and Group B received standard treatment with a placebo. Microbiological changes were assessed via quantitative PCR, while inflammatory markers (IL-1\u03b2, TNF-\u03b1) were analyzed using ELISA. Clinical parameters, including the gingival index (GI), bleeding index (BI), and periodontal pocket depth (PPD), were measured at baseline (T0), 4 weeks (T1), and 8 weeks (T2) using standardized methods. Results: Probiotic therapy (Group A) significantly reduced the pathogenic bacteria and increased the beneficial bacteria levels compared to the placebo (p &lt; 0.01). Inflammatory markers decreased by 37% (IL-1\u03b2) and 42% (TNF-\u03b1), while clinical parameters improved, with reductions in the gingival and bleeding indices (\u22121.5, \u22121.3) and a 2 mm decrease in the periodontal pocket depth (p &lt; 0.01). Conclusions: Probiotics, as an adjunct to periodontal therapy, effectively restore the microbiota balance, reduce inflammation, and improve clinical outcomes in periodontitis.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/medicina61010126","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,14]],"date-time":"2025-01-14T11:28:31Z","timestamp":1736854111000},"page":"126","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":28,"title":["Probiotic Therapy as an Adjuvant in the Treatment of Periodontal Disease: An Innovative Approach"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"61","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7701-2307","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Liliana","family":"Sachelarie","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Preclinical Discipline, Faculty of Medicine, Apollonia University, 700511 Iasi, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2643-761X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ioana","family":"Scrobota","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea, 10 1st Decembrie Street, 410073 Oradea, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2598-2368","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ioana","family":"Romanul","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea, 10 1st Decembrie Street, 410073 Oradea, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2953-3842","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Raluca","family":"Iurcov","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea, 10 1st Decembrie Street, 410073 Oradea, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8412-104X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Georgiana Ioana","family":"Potra Cicalau","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea, 10 1st Decembrie Street, 410073 Oradea, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Liana","family":"Todor","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea, 10 1st Decembrie Street, 410073 Oradea, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"456","DOI":"10.1111\/jcpe.12732","article-title":"Impact of the global burden of periodontal diseases on health, nutrition, and well-being of mankind: A call for global action","volume":"44","author":"Tonetti","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. 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