Bac 2 Health / Probiotics Background

Pre/Probiotic "Restorative Microbiology"

1. Key Points: Biofilms and Oral health: The 3 M's
2. Pre/Probiotics (Restorative Microbology ): A Rubic's Cube
3. Migratory Oral Microbiota and Diseases beyond The Mouth emphasizing Candida albicans

Designing, Constructing and Implementing a Web Based Interactive, Searchable, Educational, Oral/Wound Probiotics Data Base

Key Words: Searchable Data Base, Probiotics, Oral Health Care Providers, Web Based

Introduction/Background:

WHO reported that 30% of global population consumes Pre/Probiotics worth $87.5 billion a year and predicts a yearly increase of 15%, led by 3 WHO regions EU/UK, Asia Pacific, and North America.
Diseases managed include GUT, oral, asthma, colitis, obesity, C. Difficle, H. Plyori, with dental an emerging field, most used in Scandinavian and Japanese populations.

Recent advances in Metagenomics have fostered greater clarity of human microbiota and use of probiotics and/or symbol in two interactive/complimentary pathways: bioburden reduction( Disruption) and immune up regulation/modulation (Reconstruction).

Yet, considerable confusion and misunderstanding persist about value, fostered by 1) plethora of commercial products meeting WHO definitions, 2) availability without prescriptions, and 3) limited RCT's, 4) meta-analysis have yielded mixed reviews of peer reviewed articles well over 1,000.

Goals/AIMS:

Here, based on results of these global surveys (poster), we wanted to design and implement a current and educational tool for oral healthcare providers focusing on dentistry. Our aim was to construct an interactive, probiotic searchable database populated by current literature organized into 5 oral  and wound disease categories. Age and co-morbidities with international links were included. 

Methods:

Ten – fifteen question surveys addressing probiotic knowledge and use were given over 3 years to dental patients, oral health providers, including dental hygiene and dental students, to construct a "need to know". The most recent survey was placed on our website (http://dentistry,hsc.wvu.edu/Oral-Health-Thomas ).

A Drop Box was used for archiving, tracking, and retrieving manuscripts for review: Pub Med, EBSCO Host, and CINAHL were used for primary selection. Over 300 articles were selected.

A searchable database was constructed using the Remind platform (www.bestpremise.com). Searchable categories included oral disease, wound s,  Pre/Probiotic, and co-morbidity.
A new website entitled 'Bac-2-Health' was created utilizing the database results (www.Bac-2-Health.com), which included 1)  a " comment section",2) recent reviews of current publications, and 3) new federal regulatory guidelines, where appropriate.

Results:

Surveys confirmed confusion and limited knowledge of use, benefits, and availability of probiotics both by consumer and professional health care providers.

There was a significant reservoir of peer reviewed published literature, mostly international, that described the use, mechanism of action, and application of probiotics with limited clinical trials.
Greatest dental clinical focus included caries, periodontal disease, gingivitis, and halitosis, with growing application in nurseries and day care centers.

A computerized searchable database could be constructed providing educational materials for both consumer and oral health providers. The algorithm based integrated analysis matched oral clinical disease, age, and probiotics, highlighted by literature and survey reviews.

Searches for other probiotic websites yielded multiple options with product produced most detailed information. A probiotic summary was constructed based on observations in the literature search.

Conclusion:

In view of CDC's recent proclamation of the "Post Antibiotic Era", probiotics and reconstructive microbiology are emerging from adjunctive therapy to real time intervention.

The emergence of oral Metagenomics has catalyzed awareness of disease management via recreating a balanced eco-system, "restorative microbiology", a target and benefit of probiotics, particularly in dentistry and possibly in wounds.

Our searchable interactive database, remaining current with reviews, comments, and federal guidelines, was constructed to meet the obvious void in both the consumer and professional knowledge emphasized by multiple, international probiotic surveys.

Probiotics/Synbiotic and Prebiotics are a growing focus of new molecular research with designer probiotics and "bacterioreplacement therapy" emerging, focusing more recently on immune up regulation and modulation.

We anticipate expansion of our probiotic oral health to include endodontics and chronic wounds, given the shared pathogenicity via MMP's, recognizing wounds are now considered "toothless periodontal pockets".

We are actively searching for grant support to build the Bac-2-Health site integrating with industrial, Biotech, state, international, and federal opportunities.