Probiotics breath mint may help fight mouth diseases and more, periodontist says

Bridget Butler was suffering from inflamed gums which lead to bad breath and tooth sensitivity. So, she sought the help of periodontist, Dr. Sanda Moldovan for a nutritional and holistic approach.

"I got a whole kit: toothbrush that she designed, water pick she designed and also some breath mints that have probiotics in them that help fight the bad guys in your mouth," said Butler of Corona.

Butler has a way to go, but she's made great strides. Impressed at the effectiveness of the probiotics which the doctor, who is also a nutritionist who wrote "Heal Up," created as a breath mint.

"The mouth is the opening of the G.I. tract so most people don't think of the mouth that way. Probiotics especially the chewable kind for the mouth can have an anti-inflammatory reaction," Moldovan said.

Moldovan says a certain type of bad bacteria can wreak havoc in the mouth.

"There's a special bacteria called Streptococcus Mutans that cause cavities. It basically produces an acid which dissolves the tooth, and that progresses with time. Also yeast infections can grow also in the mouth based on this bacteria because they go hand-in-hand," said Moldovan.

While there are over 500 species of bacteria, Moldovan points out only a handful offer an anti-inflammatory effect against bad bacteria. And of course, people still need to brush properly, floss and eat healthful foods like apples, kombucha, yogurt, which all contain probiotics.

Moldavan says her experience shows that taking the oral probiotic a few times a day has shown promise.

"When we introduce an oral probiotic it actually kicks off the bacteria and performs a special film around the teeth which doesn't allow cavity forming bacteria to connect," said Moldovan.

And along with dealing with bad bacteria in your mouth, these can also can also help your ear, nose and throat bacteria as well.

"Probiotics when we take it in the mouth, it will travel, it won't just stay in there. It travels through the nose and the sinuses. We've seen a lower incidence of sinus infections for sure," Moldovan said.

Keep in mind: eating too many sugary foods, especially sticky ones, can increase your chances of bad bacteria in your mouth, so you may need more probiotics.