Investigation by The Beijing News: 17 Probiotic Oral Care Products Contain No Live Bacteria, Some Questioned for Illegally Promoting Prevention/Treatment of H. Pylori

Image source: The Beijing News

DentalGoodNews | On March 23, 2026, a special investigation released by The Beijing News revealed that popular oral care products on the market claiming to contain probiotics face compliance risks. Among the 18 products sampled that claimed to contain probiotic ingredients, 17 did not contain live probiotic bacteria. Most used inactivated "postbiotics," and some brands even made illegal claims about preventing or treating gastric Helicobacter pylori.

According to The Beijing News, the investigation covered brands such as sakose, Dr. DIO, HaoChiJian, as well as well-known brands like Yunnan Baiyao, Lion, Nice, and Saky. The Beijing News reported that although these products promote benefits like "regulating oral flora" on their sales pages, multiple industry experts and researchers pointed out that probiotics, as live microorganisms, struggle to survive stably in the complex surfactant systems of toothpaste and mouthwash. The industry commonly uses inactivated bacterial cells, which, strictly speaking, do not meet the scientific definition of "probiotics."

Image source: The Beijing News

More seriously, The Beijing News found during the investigation that some brands are pushing the boundaries of "toothpaste can cure diseases": products such as "Yifengtang" Bi You Ting Probiotic "Toothpaste," SiworSpace Oral Antibacterial Paste, and Tengri Pharmaceutical Dental Separator not only claim to "inhibit or eradicate Helicobacter pylori" but even print related patent names on their packaging. Additionally, the investigation revealed that these products often circumvent strict regulations for "cosmetic-grade" toothpaste by registering as "disinfection-grade" or "medical device-grade" products.

The Beijing News noted that in response to such irregularities, the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) had already published a科普 article in 2022, clearly stating that there is no evidence to prove that brushing teeth can affect Helicobacter pylori in the stomach. Long-term and excessive use of broad-spectrum antibacterial agents may instead disrupt the oral flora. Furthermore, the "Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Toothpaste," officially implemented on December 1, 2023, strictly prohibits toothpaste from explicitly or implicitly claiming medical effects.

Deng Yong, a professor of health law at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, stated that such宣传 content exceeding the备案 scope constitutes false advertising and misleading information. For industry practitioners, it is essential to警惕 the compliance risks associated with "conceptual添加" and违规宣传, ensuring consistency between product备案 and efficacy claims.