EvoraPro® by Oragenics
New probiotic product helps replenish and stabilize levels of beneficial bacteria in the oral cavity.
Bacteria used to be a dirty word for dental professionals. Therapies designed to control oral diseases have generally relied on chemical or mechanical means to reduce the bacterial load on soft and hard tissues. With probiotics, however, that picture is changing. Over the past several decades, scientific research has produced a detailed view of bacteria-bacteria interactions in the plaque biofilm. Oragenics' scientists have been at the forefront of this research, and their efforts have resulted in the recent introduction of the oral probiotics product, EvoraPro®, to the US professional dental market (Figure 1 ). EvoraPro is an extra-strength probiotics product intended for short-term at-home use by patients after a professional visit.
MAINTAINING A HEALTHY BALANCE (1.)The EvoraPro probiotic system helps support dental and gingival health between professional visits. (2.)The EvoraPlus probiotic system.
Total species diversity in the oral cavity has been estimated to be about 700 species. Jeffrey D. Hillman, DMD, PhD, chief scientific officer at Oragenics, and his colleagues have conducted landmark research in oral microbiology, especially as it relates to bacterial interactions in the oral biofilm. For over 25 years, Dr. Hillman conducted his studies at the Harvard-affiliated Forsyth Institute in Boston and later at the University of Florida Dental School. It is well known that the vast majority of oral species is commensal and do no harm to the host. However, a small number of bacterial species can cause a shift from oral health, when they are able to achieve sufficiently large numbers in localized areas of the teeth and gingiva. Dr. Hillman discovered that a small number of species can actually play an important role in maintaining the micro-ecological balance in the oral cavity.1 He proposed a novel approach for controlling the harmful effects of oral plaque build-up, ie, augment the host on a regular basis with these beneficial bacteria. The result has been the development and launch by Oragenics of the active ingredient in EvoraPro, called ProBiora3®, 2 years ago. ProBiora3 contains a proprietary blend of three select oral bacterial strains of human origin: Streptococcus oralis strain KJ3 and Streptococcus uberis strain KJ2 for maintaining gingival health, and Streptococcus rattus strain JH145 for maintaining dental health. All three strains are from the generally non-pathogenic group of bacteria known as Streptococcus viridians.
The concept for EvoraPro is that a high level of the active ingredient, ProBiora3, is most beneficial when delivered following a professional cleaning that may include root planing and scaling. Clinical research has determined that treated periodontal lesions recolonized by certain viridians streptococci are much more likely to remain free of further disease than are sites that do not get recolonized by these species.2 EvoraPro contains a 10-day supply of high-strength probiotic mints to help replenish and stabilize levels of beneficial bacteria in the mouth. For long-term maintenance between office visits, the companion product, EvoraPlus®, is recommended to help maintain this healthy balance. As Dr. Hillman discovered, populations of harmful bacteria are normally kept in balance by competition from good bacteria, such as found in ProBiora3. This balance can be periodically disrupted by certain factors of modern lifestyles, including stress, disease, antibiotics, unhealthy food and oral hygiene practices, and harmful environmental conditions. This is the reason that the Evora line of probiotic products should be incorporated into existing home oral hygiene practices.
Dental professionals should seek out peer-reviewed articles supporting the safety and effectiveness of a product for its intended use. The three strains in EvoraPro have been the subject of more than 15 publications in the past 25 years, and the results of the most recent human trial are reported in the Journal of Applied Microbiology.3 The safety of the ProBiora3 active ingredient has been well established for oral applications.4
Conclusion
EvoraPro and EvoraPlus (Figure 1 , Figure 2 ) represent a natural approach for oral health maintenance between office visits. As an adjunct to any professionally recommended home oral hygiene regimen, these products should be especially suited to patients in maintenance, those with poor home oral hygiene compliance, or any patients with special challenges because of physical impairment or salivary flow problems.
For more information, contact:
Oragenics, Inc.
Phone: 877-803-2624 ext. 248 | Website:https://www.oragenics.com | E-mail:info@evorapro.com
Disclaimer
The preceding material was provided by the manufacturer. The statements and opinions contained therein are solely those of the manufacturer and not of the editors, publisher, or the Editorial Board of Inside Dentistry. The preceding is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval for the aforementioned products or services or their effectiveness, quality, or safety on the part of Inside Dentistry or AEGIS Communications. The publisher disclaims responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas or products referred to in the preceding material.
References
1. Socransky SS, Haffajee AD. The nature of periodontal diseases. Ann Periodontol. 1997;2:3-10.
2. Hillman JD, Socransky SS. The theory and application of bacterial interference to oral diseases. In: Myers HM, ed. New Biotechnology in Oral Research. San Francisco, CA; Karger: 1989;1-17.
3. Zahradnik RT, Magnusson I, Walker C, et al. Preliminary assessment of safety and effectiveness in humans of ProBiora3, a probiotic mouthwash. J Applied Micro. 2009;107:682-690.
4. Hillman JD, McDonnell E, Hillman CH, et al. Safety assessment of ProBiora3, a probiotic mouthwash; subchronic toxicity study in rats. Intl J Toxicity. 2009;28:357-367.
About the Author
This article was written by Robert T. Zahradnik, PhD, vice president of product development at Oragenics, Inc.
