Table 3.

Microbiological (log‐transferred) outcome measures: mean and standard deviation values at baseline and the differences (∆) after 12 and 24 weeks

Variable	Time point	Treatment group				p‐value
		Probiotic (n = 19)		Control (n = 20)
		Mean ± SD	∆ ± SD	Mean ± SD	∆ ± SD	For mean	For delta
Tongue
A. actinomycetemcomitans	Baseline	0.22 ± 0.95		0.46 ± 1.43		.999
	12 weeks	0.48 ± 1.14	0.26 ± 1.56	0.64 ± 1.56	0.17 ± 0.82	.999	.999
	24 weeks	0.66 ± 1.33	0.44 ± 1.12	0.22 ± 1.01	−0.24 ± 0.98	.891	.744
F. nucleatum	Baseline	6.72 ± 1.03		6.30 ± 1.73		.997
	12 weeks	6.66 ± 0.89	−0.06 ± 0.85	6.44 ± 0.72	0.14 ± 1.67	.928	.990
	24 weeks	6.98 ± 0.84	0.26 ± 0.65	6.52 ± 0.84	0.22 ± 1.69	.850	.928
P. gingivalis	Baseline	3.52 ± 2.59		3.06 ± 2.73		.999
	12 weeks	3.40 ± 2.56	−0.12 ± 0.54	3.48 ± 2.71	0.41 ± 1.10	.999	.867
	24 weeks	3.17 ± 2.59	−0.35 ± 1.41	3.51 ± 2.74	0.45 ± 1.14	.999	.602
P. intermedia	Baseline	2.02 ± 2.50		1.32 ± 2.47		.971
	12 weeks	2.06 ± 2.43	0.17 ± 0.90	1.43 ± 2.35	0.11 ± 0.88	.925	.999
	24 weeks	1.91 ± 2.38	−0.11 ± 1.67	1.57 ± 2.33	0.26 ± 0.99	.980	.999
Saliva
A. actinomycetemcomitans	Baseline	0.56 ± 1.36		0.64 ± 1.63		.994
	12 weeks	0.75 ± 1.51	0.20 ± 0.76	0.84 ± 1.76	0.20 ± 1.29	.999	.994
	24 weeks	0.40 ± 1.24	−0.16 ± 1.20	0.24 ± 1.09*	−0.40 ± 1.12	.766	.104
F. nucleatum	Baseline	6.36 ± 0.69		6.27 ± 0.63		.999
	12 weeks	6.46 ± 0.64	0.10 ± 0.61	6.19 ± 0.63	−0.07 ± 0.69	.904	.949
	24 weeks	6.37 ± 0.70	0.01 ± 0.65	6.26 ± 0.57	−0.01 ± 0.83	.999	.999
P. gingivalis	Baseline	4.26 ± 3.12		4.22 ± 3.02		.999
	12 weeks	4.20 ± 3.34	−0.06 ± 0.85	4.19 ± 3.27	−0.03 ± 0.98	.999	.999
	24 weeks	4.23 ± 3.14	−0.03 ± 2.20	4.20 ± 3.24	−0.03 ± 0.99	.999	.997
P. intermedia	Baseline	2.94 ± 2.42		2.60 ± 2.32		.999
	12 weeks	2.26 ± 2.38	−0.69 ± 2.15	2.79 ± 2.23	0.19 ± 1.71	.999	.969
	24 weeks	1.73 ± 2.03	−1.21 ± 2.42	2.23 ± 2.35	−0.37 ± 1.93	.995	.808
Supragingival
A. actinomycetemcomitans	Baseline	0.58 ± 1.3		0.44 ± 1.3		.999
	12 weeks	0.37 ± 1.07	−0.24 ± 1.44	1.03 ± 1.82	0.57 ± 1.45	.662	.468
	24 weeks	0.91 ± 1.58	0.33 ± 1.92	0.50 ± 1.21	0.05 ± 1.51	.999	.999
F. nucleatum	Baseline	6.16 ± 1.17		5.97 ± 1.08		.999
	12 weeks	5.57 ± 1.50	−0.60 ± 1.35	5.70 ± 1.09	−0.36 ± 1.32	.946	.233
	24 weeks	5.72 ± 1.23	−0.43 ± 1.13	5.68 ± 1.40	−0.29 ± 1.60	.991	.999
P. gingivalis	Baseline	2.99 ± 3.03		2.95 ± 2.9		.999
	12 weeks	2.32 ± 2.84	−0.83 ± 2.60	3.39 ± 2.97	0.28 ± 1.22	.999	.873
	24 weeks	2.54 ± 2.90	−0.45 ± 2.71	2.97 ± 2.93	0.02 ± 1.82	.999	.999
P. intermedia	Baseline	1.36 ± 2.15		2.33 ± 2.26		.985
	12 weeks	1.61 ± 2.30	0.44 ± 2.12	2.27 ± 2.2	−0.18 ± 2.1	.999	.999
	24 weeks	1.83 ± 2.23	0.48 ± 2.09	1.79 ± 2.20	−0.53 ± 2.11	.999	.930
Subgingival
A. actinomycetemcomitans	Baseline	0.89 ± 1.55		1.30 ± 1.85		NC
	12 weeks	0.36 ± 1.07	−0.58 ± 1.17	0.72 ± 1.75	−0.59 ± 2.06	NC	NC
	24 weeks	0.56 ± 1.37	−0.33 ± 1.45	1.03 ± 2.17	−0.27 ± 2.42	NC	NC
F. nucleatum	Baseline	6.92 ± 1.09		7.21 ± 0.83		.996
	12 weeks	6.38 ± 1.41	−0.51 ± 0.97	6.56 ± 1.30	−0.65 ± 1.34	.999	.999
	24 weeks	5.37 ± 2.27	−1.55 ± 2.39	6.78 ± 1.30	−0.43 ± 1.34	.508	.985
P. gingivalis	Baseline	4.21 ± 3.57		4.05 ± 3.59		.999
	12 weeks	3.81 ± 3.37	−0.63 ± 1.29	3.89 ± 3.19	−0.17 ± 1.65	.999	.999
	24 weeks	3.11 ± 3.23	−1.10 ± 2.26	3.73 ± 3.38	−0.32 ± 1.59	,999	.917
P. intermedia	Baseline	2.9 ± 2.37		2.53 ± 2.46		.999
	12 weeks	1.90 ± 2.37	−0.95 ± 1.76	2.34 ± 2.08	−0.19 ± 2.24	.998	.932
	24 weeks	2.23 ± 2.29	−0.67 ± 1.76	2.098 ± 2.77	−0.43 ± 2.24	.999	.999

^*Significant intra‐group difference compared to the baseline value, Bold: significant inter‐group difference.