The Surprising Oral Health Benefits from Dental Probiotics

Whether you’re shopping online or in a physical store, the world of oral health has evolved far from just toothpaste and mouthwash. There’s a product for everything from gingivitis to whitening teeth. And because of this plethora of products out on the market, it can be overwhelming as to what’s the best for your oral health. That’s why today we want to talk to you about something called probiotics and why their health benefits shouldn’t be overlooked.

What exactly are probiotics?

Before getting into the nitty-gritty of how probiotics work and what their benefits are, it’s paramount to understand just what probiotics are. Because at the end of the day, no one should ever take anything that they don’t fully understand. Given probiotic’s newfound popularity in some spaces, it can be easy to hear the name and not look further into what they are. But that’s a mistake. Probiotics are live bacteria that are good for you. It can also be classified as yeast. What probiotics do is keep a fine-tuned balance of bacteria in the human body, meaning that probiotics are essentially expert regulators at keeping you healthy. They mainly help with digestion and keep the gut clean.

Probiotics may sound like they’re going to be hard to find or expensive, but the truth is that they’re actually in many foods. Back to those toothpaste and mouthwashes—probiotics can be found in some of them as well.

Lactobacillus

Probiotics are a type of bacteria that happens to be good for humans, but there’s not just one. Two types of bacteria help the gut digest better and those two types are lactobacillus and bifidobacterium. The first of the two—lactobacillus can usually be found in common fermented foods like yogurt. This type of bacteria is great for those who are lactose intolerant as it helps greatly with digestion. This is also the reason why many claim that they have to use the bathroom right after eating probiotic yogurt. It’s the type of bacteria that’s not only good for those with lactose issues but also constipation.

Bifidobacterium

The second class of bacteria under probiotics is known as bifidobacterium. This is the second type of bacteria that can be found pretty easily in everyday foods and helps to clean the gut out in a quick fashion. Some would even say that it’s even easier to find than lactobacillus. This is because bifidobacterium is found in a wide range of dairy products. It’s not just relegated to things like fermented yogurt. What bifidobacterium centers in on more than anything else is reducing inflammatory digestive symptoms most. Think of it as the firefighters of your digestive system.

How do probiotics work?

Knowing what probiotics do specifically is great in creating an understanding as to why they’re great for your digestive health. With probiotics getting more popular and widely recommended in the medical community, being able to tell which type of bacteria does what can help to prevent a lot of wasted money because not everyone suffers from the same problems. With that being said, it’s also important to understand just how these marvels of bacteria work the way they do.

Unfortunately, the jury is still out on the specifics of how probiotics do their job so well. That means that some of the world’s scientists are still studying how probiotics work. They have found some answers though.

What they’ve concluded is that probiotics take effect when the body has trouble regulating good and bad bacteria. For example, if you’ve recently taken a medication that reduces the good bacteria in your body like an antibiotic, then probiotics are perfect to help negate those effects.

How probiotics help your health

When it comes to probiotics, they can have far more benefits than how they positively affect your digestive health. And some of them may seem a little unlikely at first. Below is a list of all the ways that probiotics can help to improve your health. Results will always vary from person to person, but studies have shown that these benefits can be seen in those who use probiotics regularly.

Skin

Certain skins conditions, some that can decrease quality of life have been shown to improve when associated with probiotics. Those who took probiotics saw improvements with skin conditions like eczema and the common rash. You should always consult with a doctor before relying on probiotics, but they’re a great supplement in the meantime.

Mental Health

Regular exercise and a healthy diet aren’t the only things that can help dissolve certain mental health symptoms. Many people have reported that probiotics can also help. And it makes sense because probiotics help to regulate things in the body. Chemical imbalances and other irregularities that cause mental health issues should stand no chance against this strong bacteria regulator.

Allergies

Find yourself sneezing just a little bit too much in public? Instead of grabbing one of those medications that cause drowsiness, try changing your diet instead. Because probiotics have some great allergy-reducing benefits given that they help the immune system improve. Again, scientists don’t exactly understand how probiotics do their magic in terms of things like helping with allergies, but the evidence is there.

Bad breath

If you find yourself suffering from pesky bad breath, you should always consult with your dentist first and foremost. But if ailments like cavities and tooth infections have been ruled out and you still have stinky breath, then you should give probiotics a shot as they’ve been shown to reduce bad breath.

Some side effects

In some very rare cases, probiotics have been shown to produce some negative side effects. These side effects can range from an upset stomach, diarrhea, to severe allergic reactions. This can happen especially if you have an issue with your immune system or have had recent surgery.

Are probiotics for you? Before you start taking anything, you should always check with your doctor. But probiotics have proven to be a great natural alternative to some over-the-counter products out there today. Their benefits may not still be fully understood, but they work.