XYLITOL: The Decay-Preventive Sweetener
What is xylitol?
Xylitol is a natural sugar alcohol that helps
prevents cavities. You may recognize other sugar alcohols used in sugarless
products, such as mannitol and sorbitol.
Xylitol is the sugar alcohol that shows the greatest
promise for cavity prevention. It is equal in sweetness and volume to sugar and
the granular form can be used in many of the ways that sugar is used, including
to sweeten cereals and hot beverages and for baking (except when sugar is needed
for yeast to rise).
How does xylitol prevent cavities?
Xylitol inhibits the growth of the bacteria that
cause cavities. It does this because these bacteria (Streptococcus mutans) cannot utilize xylitol to
grow. Over time with xylitol use, the quality of the
bacteria in the mouth changes and fewer and fewer decay-causing bacteria
survive on tooth surfaces. Less plaque forms and the level of acids attacking
the tooth surface is lowered.
Studies show that
Streptococcus mutans is passed from parents to their
newborn children, thus beginning the growth of these decay-producing bacteria
in the child. Regular use of xylitol by mothers has
been demonstrated to significantly reduce this bacterial transmission,
resulting in fewer cavities for the child.
What products
contain xylitol and how do I find them?
Xylitol is found most often in chewing gum and mints.
You must look at the list of ingredients to know if a product contains xylitol. Generally, for the amount of xylitol
to be at decay-preventing levels, it must be listed as the first ingredient.
Health food stores can be a good resource for xylitol
containing products. Additionally, several companies provide xylitol products for distribution over the Internet.
How often must I
use xylitol for it to be effective?
Xylitol gum or mints used 3-5 times daily, for a
total intake of 5 grams, is considered optimal. Because frequency and duration
of exposure is important, gum should be chewed for approximately 5 minutes and
mints should be allowed to dissolve. As xylitol is
digested slowly in the large intestine, it acts much like fiber and large
amounts can lead to soft stools or have a laxative effect. However, the amounts
suggested for cavity reduction are far lower than those typically producing
unwelcome results.
Has xylitol been evaluated for safety?
Xylitol has been approved for safety by a number of
agencies, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the World Health
Organization’s Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives and the European
Union’s Scientific Committee for Food.
Xylitol has been shown to have
decay-preventive qualities, especially for people at moderate to high risk for
decay, when used as part of an overall strategy for decay reduction that also
includes a healthy diet and good home care. Consult your CDA member dentist to
help you determine if xylitol use would be beneficial
for you.
California Dental Association—The trusted source for
dental information
David L. Rothman D.D.S. Diplomat, American Board of
Pediatric Dentistry (415) 333-6811 fax (415)333-6813