However, there are few studies in the literature on the effects of probiotics in orthodontic patients, since
their use in our speciality is still in an infantile stage. S mutans concentration in plaque would be more representative of the caries-inducing potential in the anterior teeth where salivary clearance is less effective. Since the localized effect of probiotics on the plaque surrounding orthodontic brackets has not been studied, we conceived this study to evaluate whether probiotic systems are beneficial to orthodontic patients. It is desirable to establish which delivery system is more efficient, and thus this study was designed to compare the efficacy of systemic ingestion and topical applications. Our aimswere to evaluate and compare the effect of probiotic systems (systemic and local) on theSmutans levels in the plaque surrounding brackets in orthodontic patients.