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What is
xylitol?
Xylitol is a sweetener that
occurs naturally. It can be found, for instance, in berries, fruit,
vegetables and mushrooms. The Finnish name for it, "koivusokeri",
or "birch sugar", derives from the fact that the best way to
make xylitol industrially is from birch, by chopping up and rendering
down the structural fibre of the wood, xylan.
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How does xylitol
differ from other sweeterners?
Chemically speaking, xylitol is
not actually a sugar, but a sugar alcohol. It differs from other
sweeteners such as sorbitol, fructose and glucose because the xylitol
molecule has five, instead of six, carbon atoms. Most bacterias in mouth
are unable to make use of such sugars. This is one reason why xylitol
helps prevent caries.
Xylitol is much sweeter than
sorbitol, for instance. Assessed in terms of calories, its sweetening
power is the same as that of sucrose. It is also similar to sucrose in
its technical and nutritive properties. Xylitol is an important
supplement in the preventation of dental caries, and everyone interested
in healthy teeth should be familiar with its properties and effects.
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Where does
xylitol occur in nature?
Xylitol occur in small amounts
in natural form, especially in fruit, berries, vegetables and mushrooms.
For example raspberry, strawberry, yellow plum and endive contain
xylitol. Xylitol also occur in human tissues.
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Where was xylitol
discovered?
Xylitol was discovered almost
simultaneously by German and French chemists way back in the late 19th
century. In the Soviet Union it has been used for decades as a sweetener
for diabetics, and in Germany in solutions for intravenous feeding. In
China, xylitol has been used for various medical purposes.
The dental significance of
xylitol was "discovered" in Finland in the early 70's, when
scientists at Turku University showed it could prevent caries.
Xylitol-Jenkki, the first
xylitol chewing gum in the world, was launched by the Finnish company
Leaf in 1975.
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What is the
course of an acid attack?
Modern science tells us that
caries is the result of a combined effect of microorganisms and sugar.
Certain bacteria, the worst being streptococcus mutans, adsorb on the
surface of the teeth owing to that lipoteichoic acid and other
substances that occur in cell wall of those bacteria. Every bite of food
containing ordinary sugar, i.e. sucrose, gives the bacteria energy,
allowing them to multiply and start producing acids by a metabolic
process. The result is the infamous "acid attack". When the pH
of this mass of bacteria, or plaque, falls below pH 5,5, calcium and
phosphate salts start dissolving from the surface of the enamel.
Cavities begin to form, though only very slowly at first.
After eating sugar it takes
over half an hour before the pH of plaque is restored to the normal
level of around 7. If sugar is eaten several times a day, salts are
dissolved off the enamel more and more deeply and the enamel becomes
porous.
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Can xylitol be used as more than a sweetener?
Research suggests significant benefits to using xylitol as a nasal
wash, in addition to its dental application. Bacteria become "sticky”
and adhere to the surface of the teeth leading to dental caries. Similarly,
when Streptococcus pneumoniae and other bacteria in the upper respiratory
passages adhere to mucous membranes and nasal tissues, they can lead
to infection and disease.
Xylitol , when used in a nasal wash, helps prevent bacteria from adhering
and helps the body’s natural cleansing processes to clear away these
harmful bacteria, reducing the risk of infection. Among others, an
August 2000 study (Welsh, et al) concludes: "…our data suggest that
xylitol delivered to the airway surface may enhance the innate antibacterial
defense system."
Learn more about Xylitol Nasal Wash.
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What is xylitol's
tooth friendly effect based on?
When you take xylitol, the acid
attack that would otherwise last for over half an hour, is stopped.
Because the bacteria in the mouth causing caries are unable to ferment
xylitol in their metabolism, their growth is reduced. The number of
acid-producing lactobacilli and streptococci may fall as much as 90%. No
acid is formed because the pH of saliva and plaque does not fall. After
taking xylitol, the bacteria do not adsorb well on the surface of the
teeth and the amount of plaque decreases.
Research has shown that the use
of xylitol also helps correct incipient damage to the enamel. Saliva in
itself protects the mouth and teeth. Stimulated saliva in particular
contains all the components needed to correct incipient caries. If sugar
is only taken a couple of times a day, the saliva can do the job alone.
But most people take sugar so often that the mouth's own defensive
mechanisms are not enough.
Saliva containing xylitol is
more alkaline than saliva stimulated by other sugar products. After
taking xylitol products, the concentration of basic amino acids
and ammonia in saliva and plaque may rise, and plaque pH rises as
well. When pH is above 7, calcium and phosphate salts in saliva
start to precipitate into those parts of enamel where they are lacking.
Thus, soft, calcium-deficient enamel sites begin to harden again.
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Is xylitol safe?
Yes it is. JECFA, a joint
expert committee of WHO and FAO, confirmed in 1983 the fact, already
known by scientists, that xylitol is a safe sweetener for foods. Also
FDA confirmed this fact in 1986.
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How does xylitol
take care of a mouth dryness problem?
In terms of dental health, it
is good to increase the salivary flow rate as often as possible, i.e. to
secrete what is called stimulated saliva. The faster the saliva flow,
the greater its buffer capacity, that is, its power of resisting the
drops in saliva pH and thus in plaque pH.
In stimulating saliva secretion
xylitol increases the amount of saliva in the mouth. At the same time it
increases saliva's initiate chemical capacity for reducing the harmful
effects of bacteria.
Sucrose also stimulates saliva
secretion, but even this increased salivary flow rate cannot compensate
for the effect of the acids simultaneously produced by the cariogenic
bacteria. So plaque pH falls and cavities start forming.
Chewing also helps promote
saliva secretion. That's why chewing gum is an almost perfect way of
taking xylitol from the dentist's point of view.
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How much xylitol
should one eat per day?
The anticariogenic effect of
xylitol stems partly from the affected bacteria population in the mouth
and partly from the properties of saliva. Xylitol is a natural and
convenient way of supplementing daily dental care. Research shows that a
mere 5-10g/ day is enough. In practice, this means 3-8 pieces of chewing
gum a day. The pieces should be chewed immediately after a meal or a
snack. If you eat more snacks, you of course need more frequent help
from xylitol.
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Why is xylitol
an important aid in caries prevention?
The circle below shows the ways
in which caries may be prevented in the future. The relative role played
by the various methods in different circumstances varies, of course.
Complete preventive effect will only be achieved if all the established
methods are used simultaneously. If one of the sectors in the circle -
let's say, choice of alternatives to sugar- is neglected, the preventive
mechanism cannot be put to full effect.
Xylitol is one of the most
important alternatives to sugar. Xylitol is more than a mere substitute;
it is a therapeutic sweetener. That is why xylitol chewing gum and other
xylitol products play an important role as instruments of dental care,
in a part of caries prevention.
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Is it possible
to replace daily teeth cleaning by xylitol?
Healthy mouth and teeth are a
important part of healthy everyday life. That is why it is important to
take good care of them. To keep a beautiful and healthy smile brush you
teeth daily with fluoride tooth paste and visit your dentists regularly.
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Is it dangerous
to swallow the chewing gum?
No it is not, but xylitol
chewing gum is not meant to be swallowed. In case it gets swallowed, it
will be transported naturally among other food through intestines. The
best way to dispose of your chewing gum is to wrap in a piece of paper
and throw it in a waste basket.
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