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Xylitol and Dental Caries

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Submitted By sup3rhuman
Words 338
Pages 2
Tim Nelson
Cariology, Lamont Walker
March 5th, 2013
Caries Topic Paper #1
Xylitol and Cavities
Xylitol is a 5-carbon sugar that is commonly found in birch tree sap and naturally occurring in some fruits and vegetables. When used as a sugar substitute, it has been proven to lower tooth decay rates in a number of ways. Firstly, bacteria cannot break down xylitol into acid as they do from all other fermentable sugars (i.e. sucrose, glucose, fructose, galactose.) Secondly, when bacteria take in xylitol, they don't take in as much of other fermentable sugars, reducing acid production. Thirdly, xylitol prevents bacteria from adhering to enamel, which prevents them from reproducing. A final way in which xylitol can reduce tooth decay is if it's used in conjunction with fluoride, it can be more effective at repairing and remineralizing enamel than just fluoride alone. Though it is a sugar substitute, heavy consumption (>30g/day) can lead to an upset stomach and diarrhea, and is therefore kept mostly to gums, mints, toothpastes, mouth rinses, and candy for diabetics. Not only can it cause diarrhea in humans, but can be fatal to dogs, which cannot metabolize xylitol.
This article was found on Carifree.com, apparently a part of Caries Management by Risk Assessment (CAMBRA,) an initiative started by the California Dental Association. While we learned that glycoproteins adhere to enamel, I haven't read anything about sugars adhering to enamel in the absence of pellicle, so it's doubtful xylitol actually prevents bacteria from adhering to enamel, unless the sugar is in the exact spot a bacterium is trying to land. Another source states that xylitol has not been proven to be as effective as fluoride, and that it requires 6g a day to be effective, which is 12 pieces of gum. That is a lot of gum per day! I'm glad it wasn't added to all of our food... I remember when Olean came out as a fat substitute and was put in chips that would give you stomach cramps.

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