Xylitol, a Promising Allied for Oral Heath

Abstract

This work aimed to carry out a literature review correlating the use of xylitol with the prevention of dental caries, which is a chronic and multifactorial disease, caused by organic acids originated from the fermentation of dietary carbohydrates (dependent sucrose) by bacteria and, when associated with a limited ability to correct oral pH, lead to tooth decalcification, a process known as demineralization. The cariogenic potential of the oral microbiota is genetically determined and is accentuated by the availability of sucrose. Under these conditions, the metabolic pathways favor the reduction of pH, demineralization of the dental substrate and the synthesis of extracellular polysaccharides that act as an energy supply and adhesive strategy. Xylitol is an alcoholic sugar that hardly undergoes fermentation by oral bacteria. Therefore, it has been recommended as a substitute for sugar, especially when food is eaten between meals, helping to prevent tooth decay. The antimicrobial activity of xylitol occurs when the compound is incorporated into the bacterial cell, through the phosphorylation process in the glycolytic pathway of the bacterium, forming xylitol-5-phosphate, that is not metabolized by any enzyme, characterizing it as an intermediate compound. Xylitol is a safe nutrient for human use, and several studies have analyzed the influence of xylitol in dental caries prevention. However, there is a need for more robust clinical trials for the evaluation of the effectiveness of xylitol under ideal conditions propitious to its use.

Development and evaluation of a chewing gum containing antimicrobial peptide GH12 for caries prevention

“…Growth curves and bactericidal kinetics curves showed that GH12 chewing gum extracts completely inhibited the growth of S. mutans and killed S. mutans quickly without any significant differences between Ext‐5 min, Ext‐10 min, and Ext‐15 min in the first 5 min, indicating that Ext‐5 min, Ext‐10 min, and Ext‐15 min had similar antimicrobial activities. It has been reported that xylitol can inhibit the growth of S. mutans by starving the bacteria [36, 37]. Growth curves showed that placebo chewing gum containing xylitol delayed the growth of S. mutans with a lower A 600 .…”

Evaluation of Antibacterial Effect of Different Sucrose Free Hard Candies in High-Risk Patients

“…Similarly xylitol has the ability to increase the flow of saliva in the oral cavity, without increasing the concentration of acids in the dental plaque, controlling the pH and the buffering capacity of saliva after the consumption of sucrose (28) .Moreover xylitol is a non-fermentable sugar from bacteria of the genus Streptococcus, mainly S. mutans, in addition it also acts in the process of remineralization, preventing the pH drop in the oral cavity due to its inhibitory power of growth of cariogenic bacteria. In this context, the use of xylitol for oral washing increases the salivary flow and consequently increases the pH of the saliva, neutralizing acids that are produced by fermentable sugars (29) .…”

Dental Health Education: Chewing Gum Containing Xylitol in Junior High School Students

“…Xylitol is a sweetener that is extracted from the wood fiber of the whitebirch tree. [14][15][16] The benefits of chewing xylitol gum for dental and oral health after eating, have been shown to reduce gingivitis and increase salivary flow which reduces the amount of acid in the mouth, and chewing gum containing xylitol to reduce the number of bacteria in the mouth. Xylitol can inhibit the growth of plaque-forming bacteria.…”