Over the years, probiotics have been used in the treatment of a variety of diseases. The use of probiotics in the treatment of periodontal disease has caught on over the last decade or so. This review was performed to determine whether administration of probiotics produced a lasting clinical benefit in the treatment of periodontal disease. A MEDLINE, Cochrane database and a hand search was performed on human randomized placebo controlled trials using probiotics in the treatment of periodontal disease. A total of thirteen papers which addressed the question of the use of probiotics in the treatment of periodontal disease were retrieved. Most of the studies reviewed showed only a short term benefit with regards to reduction in gingival inflammation and probing depth reduction. Lasting clinical benefits were not seen in any of the studies. At least four different combinations and strains of probiotics have been used in the studies. There also existed significant heterogeneity in the methodology of the studies reviewed. It was concluded that current regimens of probiotics in the treatment of periodontal disease produce only short-term clinical and microbiologic benefits.

The aim of this report is to diagnose the cause for episodic, shifting type of mild inflammation in the isolated areas of gingiva noted by the patient for 1 year. A 33-year-old female patient presented with a chief complaint of mild pain and occasional burning sensation confined to the gingiva to the Department of Periodontology and Oral Implantology. Clinical presentation of the gingiva was seen to mimic mild form of gingivitis for 1 year, with no noted systemic involvement gingival biopsy was performed. The presence of Tzanck cell was noted along with intraepithelial split pointing toward pemphigus. Thus, the study concludes that thorough and meticulous gingival examination can reveal the picture of underlying systemic alterations and is the key for early diagnosis and prompt treatment.

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