Search

We assessed the impact of probiotics on outcomes related to caries in children and/or adolescents without underlying systemic diseases. We performed a comprehensive meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Searches were performed in Embase, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science until March 2023 for RCTs assessing probiotics with a minimum intake duration of 0.2 months vs. control (no treatment or placebo) and reporting at least one primary or secondary outcome. Primary outcomes were number of carious, Streptococcus mutans count, and Lactobacillus count; secondary outcomes were bacterial plaque index, gingival index, salivary pH, and bleeding index. We performed meta-analyses with random effects models and the inverse variance method. Effects were described as mean difference (MD) with their 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). The risk of bias was assessed with the RoB 2.0 tool. The GRADE methodology was used to assess the quality of evidence (QoE). Nineteen RCTs were included (n = 2622), with a follow-up range of 0.2 to 108 months. Probiotics had no effect on reduction of dental caries (MD -0.24 carious pieces, 95%CI -0.72 to 0.23; I2 = 52%, low QoE) or Lactobacillus count (MD -0.78 CFU/mL, 95%CI -1.65 to 0.09; I2= 52%, very low QoE) vs. control. However, probiotics probably reduced S. mutans count vs. control (MD -0.40 CFU/mL, 95%CI -0.57 to -0.24; I2 = 11%, moderate QoE). Probiotics had no effect on bacterial plaque index (MD 0.21 units of bacterial plaque, 95%CI -0. 55-0.96; I2 = 80%, very low QoE), gingival index (MD 0.04 units of gingival index, 95%CI -0.18 to 0.27; I2= 0%, low QoE), and salivary pH (MD -0.12 pH units, 95%CI -0.72 to 0.48; I2 = 92%, very low QoE) vs. control. Probiotics were found to likely reduce S. mutans counts. However, no significant effect of probiotics was observed in reducing other outcomes compared to the control group., Competing Interests: Conflict interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aim: To perform a bibliometric analysis of the scientific production related to the use of probiotics in oral health., Materials and Methods: A retrospective, descriptive, observational study with a scientometric approach was conducted. Metadata from scientific articles were retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection and analyzed using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and Emtree terms. The search strategy included the terms related to probiotics and oral health, and articles published between 2013 and 2022 were analyzed. Different scientometric indicators were used to analyze the production, impact, and network collaboration., Results: A total of 485 articles were retrieved from 241 sources, with an average annual growth rate of 10.72%. The manuscripts received an average citation per doc of 15.2. Authors collaborated on an average of 5.76 coauthors per paper. The number of articles published increased progressively from 2013 to 2022. The year 2022 had the highest number of articles published (90), while in 2013 only 36 articles were published. There was a progressive decrease in the average number of citations per article, from 32.44 in 2013 to 2.41 in 2022., Conclusion: The production of articles on probiotics in dentistry has grown steadily, with an annual growth rate of 10.72%. The most productive countries were the United States, Italy, and China. The importance of international scientific collaborations and the need for more research in this field is emphasized., Clinical Significance: The findings of this study may help researchers identify areas that require further study and lead to more rapid and efficient advances in the use of probiotics to improve oral health. Its clinical importance lies in its value and ability to inform and guide future research to advance this field of science. How to cite this article: Mayta-Tovalino F, Espinoza-Carhuancho F, Alvitez-Temoche D, et al . A 10-year Scientometric Study of the Emerging Patterns and Spatial-Temporal Trends of Probiotics in Dentistry. J Contemp Dent Pract 2023;24(12):981-986.