About half of adults over 30 years old have some degree of gum disease. While scaling, root planing, Arestin, and good daily hygiene habits help deter and correct gingivitis, now there’s a chewing gum to enhance treatment. BioGaia developed the gum, Prodent, which contains Lactobacillus reuteri Prodentis, a bacterium that partners with the human immune system to reduce inflammation. Just one stick of Prodent reduced bleeding sites by 85% in a test performed by University of Copenhagen in Denmark. Periodontal pockets showed fluid reduction of about 50%, as well.
BioGaia, based in Sweden, is a biotechnology company dedicated to the development of probiotic products.