You may think caring for your mouth stops when you get dentures, but the truth is that the struggle for oral health goes on. You may not have to worry about tooth decay, but there are still concerns about the possibility of gum disease and denture stomatitis, caused by fungi of the Candida genus.

If you’re having difficulty combatting these concerns, maybe you should consider enlisting another ally: probiotics.

cup of yogurt

What Are Probiotics?

Probiotics are basically any microorganism that is helpful to your health. In most cases, people use the term to refer to bacteria, contrasting healthy bacteria that help with many health functions, with unhealthy bacteria that cause infections and tooth damage.

And when we’re talking about helpful bacteria, the one most commonly referenced is the various species of lactobacillus. Lactobacillus is a type of bacteria that is commonly found in yogurt, but can also be procured in a tablet form.

How Probiotics Can Help Denture Wearers

Lactobacillus organisms are very effective competitors with dangerous and damaging micro organisms. In particular, Candida fungal species are ancient enemies of Lactobacillus, and the probiotic microorganism has developed an effective counter to its old rival: it prevents the fungus from developing into a biofilm, a protective grouping coated in slime. Without the biofilm, the Candida fungus are exposed to worse conditions, such as saliva that is toxic to them, and the attacks of Lactobacillus. This can reduce your risk of denture stomatitis.

Probiotics can also help by competing against dangerous bacterial species. This means that they can help reduce your risk of gum disease. This is most important for wearers of implant dentures: probiotics can help reduce the risk of peri-implantitis, infection of the dental implants that can lead to failure.

If you are looking for quality dentures or the help of a skilled denture dentist, please contact a local Denture Fountain of Youth® dentist today.