Xylitol chewing gum in caries prevention: a field study in children

Xylitol and caries prevention — is it a magic bullet?

“…After two years, this blind study showed a mean reduction in caries in the children chewing xylitol gum of 44% compared with the control group who did not chew any gum. 18 The caries preventive effectiveness was observed three 22 and five years 26 after discontinuation of the use of xylitol -the greatest long-term preventive effect being seen on second permanent molars which erupted during the xylitol gum trial. 39 Scheie and Fejerskov, 12 in their review of this trial, point out that an important factor to be considered in the interpretation of the results was the impact that chewing xylitol gum had on decreasing the intake of conventional solid sweets during the trial and they also suggest that participation in the trial may have raised oral health awareness during the subsequent five years.…”

“…39 Scheie and Fejerskov, 12 in their review of this trial, point out that an important factor to be considered in the interpretation of the results was the impact that chewing xylitol gum had on decreasing the intake of conventional solid sweets during the trial and they also suggest that participation in the trial may have raised oral health awareness during the subsequent five years. However, Isokangas 18 stated that 'the frequency of consumption of sweets was not, however, significantly affected by the use of xylitol gums. ' The results of a similarly-designed (although not blind) field study in Montreal showed that children who chewed xylitol gum had significantly lower net progression of caries than the control group children after 24 months, and a significant number of reversals of carious lesions were seen in the test group suggesting that remineralisation had occurred.…”

“…Even with these intrinsic weaknesses, field trials are important as they allow the effectiveness and acceptability of preventive agents or methods previously shown in a clinical trial to be effective, to be evaluated in a particular setting. In two of these field trials, xylitol was given as several items of confectionery 17,21 while in other studies, xylitol was given in chewing gum only 20,23,27 and these studies will be considered later.…”

Effects of Xylitol Wipes on Cariogenic Bacteria and Caries in Young Children

“…Mothers were instructed to use 2 wipes to clean the teeth and gums of the children 3 times daily in addition to daily toothbrushing. The total dosage of xylitol was estimated to be 4.2 g/day for the xylitol-wipe group to achieve the therapeutic dosage as previously determined (Isokangas et al, 1988;Milgrom et al, 2006). A consultation on diet and oral hygiene care for children was given to each guardian according to the guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.…”

Chewing Xylitol Gum Improves Self-Rated and Objective Indicators of Oral Health Status under Conditions Interrupting Regular Oral Hygiene

“…Xylitol chewing gum, a type of sugar-free chewing gum, is a well-known and effective strategy for preventing caries (Isokangas et al 1988;Machiulskiene et al 2001;Burt 2006), and acts primarily by inhibiting Streptococcus mutans plaque Nakai et al 2010;Seki et al 2011;Shinga-Ishihara et al 2012). Moreover, the use of xylitol chewing gum as an adjunct to tooth brushing is beneficial for oral hygiene including plaque control, based on a systematic review of the literature (Keukenmeester et al 2013).…”