Xylitol could mean 40% fewer cavities?
It’s being touted as a new superfood for teeth, claiming to reduce tooth decay and is now being added to toothpastes and chewing gum for this reason.
It isn’t just good for teeth; it’s recommended in the natural health community and in many anti-candida recipes and diets. It’s been used in the treatment of burn victims and may even reduce middle ear infections in young children.
So what is xylitol? It is a naturally occurring sugar found in fruit and vegetables.
Being as sweet as sugar yet with 40% less calories, it’s commonly used as a sugar substitute in cooking.
As well as being non carcinogenic, it also doesn’t cause tooth decay like sugar does.
See the best and worst foods for your teeth.
So how does it work?
- It reduces the accumulation of plaque on the tooth surface. Plaque contains bacteria that cause tooth decay; therefore less plaque means less tooth decay.
- It reduces the number of cavity causing bacteria in your mouth, so they are less capable of causing decay
- If you chew a chewing gum that contains xylitol it stimulates saliva flow, which neutralizes the cavity causing acids in your mouth, which means less cavities
Interesting fact
Children acquire cavity causing bacteria from their caregivers (saliva) in early life, so children get cavity causing bacteria usually from their mums. If mum has lots of decay her children probably will too.
Studies have shown that mother’s who chew xylitol chewing gum 3 times a day, starting from their babies being three months old until 2 years of age, reduce the levels of cavity causing bacteria transmitted to their children, up until the child is six years of age. So if you don’t want your young children to get cavities, you should start chewing xylitol chewing gum.
Sounds good – where can I get some?
It is used in chewing gum, oral health products and as a sugar substitute for diabetics and people looking to prevent tooth decay.
- Toothpaste – Grant’s xylitol toothpaste (health food stores), Oral 7 toothpaste (chemist).
- Chewing gum – Extra sugar free gum (supermarket)
So how much do I need to get benefits?
You need to consume at least 6g per day to be effective in reducing decay.
A word of warning!
Xylitol is extremely toxic to dogs; do not let your dog anywhere near this product. They can’t have ANY xylitol at all. If you have it in your house, make sure it is out of reach of your dog. Also it does have a laxative effect, so don’t eat too much of it.
So, if you want to prevent cavities, chewing xylitol chewing gum is a great place to start.
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