Once upon a time, there was remarkable a boy we shall call The Immunity Gladiator. He stayed well through the harsh winters of Dunedin, New Zealand year after year . . . after year. When curious researchers decided to find out why, they discovered that he carried a rare strain of bacteria – S. salivarius.
Now, if you’re saying to yourself “S. salivarius, that’s a mouthful!” . . . well, you’d be exactly right. This beneficial bacteria – which has been found in volunteers with particularly strong immune defenses against seasonal concerns – is primarily found in the mouth. Research suggests that it supports ear, nose, and throat health along with respiratory function, but unfortunately only a very small percentage of us (about 2%) have abundant amounts of it. (source)
I don’t know about you, but after years of focusing on gut health through probiotics, fermented foods and and staples like bone broth, I thought I had a pretty good handle on how to support a diverse microbiome. But whoa, oral probiotics!?!? This is new territory for me.
Apparently, just as certain species of pathogenic bacteria (such as those that feed on tooth enamel and cause sore throats or earaches) tend to favor the oral cavity, certain beneficial bacteria do as well.
S. salivarus competes with these bacteria and is thought to have a positive impact on microbial balance. Multiple studies found on PubMed support the use of BLIS K12, which is a commercially available strain of S. salivarius, to:
- Maintain healthy oral bacteria
- Support the body’s first line of defense – the immune system
- Promote fresh breath
Personally, my interest in BLIS K12 goes beyond what’s currently been studied. Just as Dr. Weston A. Price made a connection between nutrition and a low incidence of cavities in certain traditional populations, I wonder if there is a connection between an increase in oral health issues and the loss of the oral microbiome. I can’t count the number of times I swished antibacterial mouthwashes as a child, never thinking of how it might affect the friendly bacteria in my mouth.
Though reestablishing one strain is not the same as repopulating an entire ecosystem, it seems like a good start to me.
Too much of a good thing?
In the case of certain probiotics – like l. acidophilus – it is sometimes possible to get too much of a good thing. That’s why I personally rotate the probiotic supplements I take (a couple of my favorites are listed on my shopping page) and try to consume a variety of fermented foods.
When reading up on oral probiotics, one of the things that stood out to me is that the strain I am using is self-limiting. According to Grant Washington-Smith of BLIS Technologies (the company that makes the commercially available strain of S. salivarius):
“Almost every probiotic on the market works by out-competing other bacteria. BLIS K12 is no different but it has other weapons in its arsenal that other probiotics don’t have. BLIS K12 actually produces two specific BLIS compounds. One BLIS is designed to maintain normal healthy population levels and prevent even the good bacteria from over-growing. The other BLIS is only produced when the BLIS K12 probiotic is threatened. This is a powerful substance that acts like a tiny spear to defend the delicate environmental balance.” (source, emphasis mine)
Which one do I use?
There are several probiotics for oral health which incorporate the BLIS K12 strain – this is the one I use. Just in case you might be wondering, this is NOT a sponsored post and I have never received any free products from this company – I’m just a customer writing a review. My reasons for going with this brand are:
- In my opinion it has the cleanest “other” ingredient list of the options that I researched. In addition to the two active ingredients – BLIS probiotics and zinc – the lozenges are sweetened with a blend of stevia and isomalt, which is a sugar alcohol that is mostly indigestible to us. If you’re skeptical of sugar alcohols like I was, I recommend that you read Chris Kresser, LAc’s, take on them here. Inulin, which is a prebiotic that serves as food for the beneficial bacteria, is included, as is mint extract (for flavor), cellulose (to add bulk so that it’s big enough to be a lozenge), dicalcium phosphate (a form of calcium that helps hold the lozenge together), and glyceryl behenate (which is made by mixing glycerin with a saturated fatty acid).
- The company that produces this lozenge supports Yayasan Bumi Sehat, a gentle birthing center and medical facility in Bali that is working to improve birth in that region. The center was founded by Robin Lim, who was named CNN Hero of the Year in 2011.
Click here to check out BLIS K12 oral probiotics.
This article was medically reviewed by Dr. Anna Cabeca, a gynecologist and obstetrician and a menopause and sexual health expert. As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor.
Nikki
This is super intriguing! Do you use this for your kids too? Thanks, Nikki
Heather
Yes, I do. The original studies on the benefits of this strain were looking at how to support children’s oral and immune health, so I’m comfortable giving it to them. 🙂
Nikki
Fantastic! Thanks Heather! I appreciate all you do researching topics and presenting them in a balanced way. So helpful! Love your blog!!
Laura
How old is the youngest you give them to? My son is 3 1/2. Not sure how well the minty flavor will go over for him lol but he loves his other chewables!
Tara
Heather, do you and your children take this daily, or on-a-while-off-a-while? I bought some a while back but haven’t been taking it consistently. I think it would be good to do it daily for a while, but what about continually? Since it prevents overgrowth of even the good bacteria, do you think it’s okay to take it routinely? And for the kiddos as well?
lilly
How young of kids would you say is ok? My son is two years old, any recommendations on other probiotics for kids his age that are good to rotate with?
Katie
When you made the comment of antibacterial mouthwash killing off germs, meaning even the good, I think I might have actually uttered a ‘duh’ (not at you, me). I can’t believe I never made that connection before. My oldest has always had issue with very sinus-y breath, but she’s been using TheraBreath mouthwash lately and it works wonders. It is a proprietary blend, but basically a peroxide solution. I’m now wondering though if this is just as bad for her overall oral health as traditional mouthwash. My youngest also had seven(!) cavities when she was five. I was shocked and devastated as my other two have had no issue with cavities. I think I’m beginning to find the rest of the pieces to these puzzles. Thank you for this info!
Kate
How do you get these to your house? Do they not need to stay cool? I’ve been feeling pretty limited by our small town selection of probiotics and just bulking up our fermented foods instead, but it would be lovely if you’ve figured out a way to keep these alive on their way to you!
Tijana
I have been using these the last couple of months too. On the back of the box it says: “No refrigeration necessary. Store in a cool dry place.”
Hyperbiotics
Hi Kate! I saw your question, so thought I would jump in and answer!
We use a patented manufacturing process called LiveBac® in order to ensure the most shelf-stable product possible. All of our products are able to withstand high heat for up to 7 days. Thus, you don’t have anything to worry about in terms of the effectiveness of the product. Even still, the beneficial organisms in our formulas are only susceptible to heat and humidity once the seals of the bottle has been opened (our probiotics are very well protected until then). And as long as your home isn’t consistently above 78° Fahrenheit or excessively humid, there is no need to store them in the refrigerator.
I hope this answers your question! If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our customer service team, we’re always happy to help. 🙂 https://www.hyperbiotics.com/pages/customer-center
Best,
Natalie
Hyperbiotics
Wilson
Is Isomalt gluten free?
Nikhol
Is Lysterine bad to use?
Greg Buck
Anything with alcohol in it is toxic – it kills living cells, causes cancer, etc., etc.
sodium benzoate is toxic. Same with benzoic acid.
Sucralose contains chlorine, which can react with other cells in your body.
(Many herbicides and pesticides contain chlorine, not naturally found in plants and animals.)
Lots of folks were getting throat cancer from using Listerine, and info is available*
* https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-jj-allegedly-hushed-up-oral-cancer-fears-on-listerine/
Angela
My son, who it sounds like needs this the most with his horrible breath, DESPISES mint. Do you have a 2nd place brand recommendation for another oral probiotic?
Dana
Same brand, buy their Kids ENT formula which has the same strains as dental + 1 other beneficial for ENT health. Tastes like strawberry and my son LOVES it.
Tiffany
So I’ve been looking for vegan & gluten free gummies for my kids. I found this brand nutrapharmusa.com and was wondering if anyone has tried them out?
Leah
Couldn’t we use this to make yogurt? With 5 of us taking this it gets expensive.
Julia
I’m wondering the same thing. Have you tried it? I wonder if it could be just thrown in with the yogurt I already make?
Michelle D
Thank you for this article!
I am battling very bad teeth in myself and one of my children. We seem to have the same issues with the same teeth and I want to help her before her permanent molars come in so they are not rotting away like mine are (and her baby teeth are)
Jill
Have you tried the PRO kids ENT? It’s basically the same thing (active ingredients) with a different flavor, right?? Thanks!
Claire
Thanks for the article, I liked it. I am busy reading ‘Cure Decay Naturally’ and they mention a caution about Stevia. It is an ingredient in the probiotics you mentioned. Are you aware of this? What are your thoughts?
Claire
Sorry, Cure Tooth Decay Naturally
Jen
Do you know if this is helpful for oral lichen planus? I have been suffering with it for 5 years with ups and downs in severity. Thanks!
Ren
My daughter who’s is 5 yrs keeps having stuffy dry nose and very strong smell in her mouth no matter how much time teeth we brush, u have any suggestions ? What I should do I have try doing saline solution don’t seem to help
Michelle
Great information! Would it be overkill to take a regular probiotic in conjunction with this one?
Heather
I use both with my family 🙂
Pam
Heather, What is the amount for a 7 yr old? Should I buy the kid one?
Joy
You had me sold until I saw that this product has mint! According to Dr. Eric Berg and Dr. Darren Schmidt, herbs such as mint, thyme, oregano, tea tree oil, and neem oil should never be used for dental care because they too are antibacterial. Since this product has mint in it, I can’t see how it wouldn’t destroy existing good bacteria in the mouth. This makes the makers of this product look uncredible, for this reason they seriously should remove the mint from this product if they are going to compete with other emerging brands that have opt out on using mint or other natural antibacterial medicinals for dental care.
Heather
This probiotic has no more mint than chewing fresh leaves and I personally am not concerned about it. Plus, as I covered in this post on oil pulling, essential oils can have a positive impact on the oral microbiome.
mike
cnn hero of the year ? im out!
Chloe
I have chronic bad breath and am on my second day with using pro dental. How long does it generally take to reduce bad breath ?
Kari
Hi Heather, since this post is about 2 years old. Have you or your children seen an increase in oral health? How about your immune system? Have you had any cavities?
Thanks, Kari
Jerri
Does this product dissolve in your mouth? I can’t have any mint in my mouth as I seem to be allergic to it, but if I swallow something with mint it seems to be ok.
Thanks!
Jerri
Heather
Yes it dissolves in the mouth.
Mai
Do your kids get nausea when taking this? My kids refuse it bc it causes nausea every time they take it. How can i minimize the side effect?
Heather
Hi Mai, my kids have never experienced nausea with this probiotic. Perhaps they are sensitive to one of the ingredients?
Roberta Thomas
Do you know if one has sibo if it is still okay?
sharon
you may want to find a good functional doctor who can take a culture of her sinuses and of her stool. Either she has bad bacteria in her GI, which often causes bad breath, or there’s a problem in her sinuses. I like the GI Map test for stool. There’s also a test through ubiome. Whatever the test, you’ll need a good doctor who can interpret and order them. I took the gi pay test and Dr Nancy Mullan interpreted them and where my cavities really hurt, the pain keeps disappating by treating my gut
Sharon
Heather, what results have you had with this product?
Puja
Can these oral probiotic tablets you have written about in your main article be crushed up and used to brush teeth, or used in oil pulling? And do you have any idea if that would be effective at repopulating the microbiome as well. I’m trying to squeeze in benefits at every and all points in my oral care to tackle receding gums. The number of species we have in our body is mind boggling and deciding which ones I could use for their oral benefits, not gut, is completely out of my reach! But I’m trying ?
Chloe
I think these can be helpful as a short term “treatment” but you really shouldn’t need to take them every day forever. You can have a perfectly healthy oral microbiome if you simply eat a proper diet. Easier said than done for some, I suppose.