BB12 Babies – A Promising Start for Oral Health
Your mouth is home to one of the body’s most complex communities of bacteria, even from the very first months of life. These bacteria can change and grow, thriving in accordance with what they’re fed, and in a healthy mouth keeping each other in balance. In early childhood, these bacteria begin to shape the balance between a healthy oral environment, where we want to be, and some of the species linked with tooth decay and other dental problems.
One such group of bacteria is Mutans Streptococci. M. Streptococci is a tough one to have in your mouth, and an even tougher one to get rid of. Its shown a strong ability to really stick to the enamel on the teeth, making it hard to remove directly with brushing or cleaning. It’s known for eating sugars from the foods we eat, especially sucrose from sugary snacks and drinks, and from these sugars producing acid, which in turn damages the enamel in the mouth and leads to tooth decay. It has been extensively studied and strongly linked by multiple medical bodies to dental cavities, and is widely associated with low levels of saliva (dry mouth) and poor plaque control.
Although most research into BB-12 has focused on digestion and immunity, scientists have recently started exploring its potential role in the mouth and upper digestive tract as well. The evidence here is still new and developing, but the first human studies are encouraging, showing that BB-12 may help influence the early oral microbiome in a positive way.
So what did the research show?
In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving more than 100 healthy infants, researchers gave some babies a slow-release pacifier containing BB-12 in a fairly high concentration of 10 billion CFU per day. The other infants received either Xylitol or Sorbitol. These two are often called sugars on packaging or by people, which isn’t strictly true, they’re actually sugar alcohols, and behave a little differently to most sugar.
Xylitol is known to actively prevent M. Streptococci growth when it’s taken in small doses since the bacterium can’t eat it (with the exception of some resistant strains), whilst Sorbitol can be eaten by the bacteria it’s thought to help reduce it by increasing saliva production. The thing is, both of these substances can cause stomach upset amongst other things when taken in too high of a dose, and ultimately can feed the bad bacteria. The infants received their doses of BB12 or the alternative for an average of 15 months in total to see how their oral microbiome would be effected.
The main area of examination in this study was the prevalence of Mutans Streptococci, as this is a microbe doctors are keen to avoid in an infant’s mouth. At age 2 the BB12 group showed only a 6% rate of infection, when compared to the xylitol group that came in at 31%, a very significant reduction. It should be noted that the sorbitol group were only a little higher than the BB12 group at 10% infection, although it’s important to note that these sugar alcohols are not sugars and so will not behave in quite the same way. Since all 3 of these were intended to prevent M. Streptococci growth, the BB12 comes out ahead as the clear winner!
Whilst this is early research it does indicate that BB12 could help to encourage a healthy oral microbiome and reduce the likelihood of a cavity prone environment. If the infants taking BB12 were compared to infants who were following a regular diet, and not consuming xylitol or sorbitol, the results would be very interesting indeed!
So how does this apply to me then?
A healthy oral microbiome begins early, and our infants are among the most vulnerable in our society. Reducing the presence of bacteria such as mutans streptococci in the first years of life can set the stage for a more balanced mouth and may support the natural defences that help protect developing teeth.
While research into BB-12 and oral health is still in its early stages, the findings so far are promising and worthy of further exploration. They suggest that the same well-studied bacterial strain known for supporting gut balance and immune function may also play a gentle, beneficial role in helping the mouth maintain harmony from the very beginning. This is one area we’re keen to see more research in, so we’ll keep this article updated as the science evolves and more studies are done.
And as more studies emerge, BB-12 continues to show itself as one of the most versatile and well-researched bacterial strains in the world, helping scientists better understand how the microbiome connects our gut, our immune system, and even our smiles. This all paints the picture of a microbe that could benefit us throughout our digestive tract, and is capable of surviving it end to end, a powerful microbe indeed!
References (the science) – Don’t just take our word for it:
1. Taipale T, Pienihäkkinen K, Salminen S, Jokela J, Söderling E. Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 administration in early childhood: a randomized clinical trial of effects on oral colonization by mutans streptococci and the probiotic. Caries Res. 2012;46(1):69-77. doi: 10.1159/000335567. Epub 2012 Feb 10. PMID: 22327347. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22327347/
2. Taipale T, Pienihäkkinen K, Alanen P, Jokela J, Söderling E. Administration of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 in early childhood: a post-trial effect on caries occurrence at four years of age. Caries Res. 2013;47(5):364-72. doi: 10.1159/000348424. Epub 2013 Apr 5. PMID: 23571819. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23571819/
