Xylitol sweetener looks incredibly similar to sugar, but it won’t rot your teeth!
Unfortunately, most people’s favorite sugars are the ones that tend to rot your teeth. So how and why does sugar rot your teeth and how does a sugar alternative – namely a xylitol sweetener – compare?
The sugars that can rot your teeth all contain glucose, the simple sugar that provides energy for us and all the rest of the animal world. Glucose is found in table sugar (sucrose), brown sugar, corn syrup, honey, high fructose corn syrup, and even agave. Sugars rot your teeth because bacteria living in the plaque on our teeth can eat the sugar we eat, but they make from it acids that eat through the enamel surfaces of our teeth. This process leads to cavities.
So while it’s not exactly the sugar itself that rots your teeth, it feeds the bacteria and leads to the acids that do cause cavities and rot. You don’t want to add fuel to the fire and worsen any dental problems you might be having.
Where the cavity causing bacteria use sugar as fuel to create more damage, xylitol starves the bacteria and eliminates the acid, which saves your teeth.
How sugar rots your teeth vs a xylitol sweetener
Xylitol has been shown in many studies to help fight cavities. Where sugar fuels the bacteria that live in plaque, xylitol is unable to be metabolized by the bacteria. In fact, regular use of xylitol causes the bacteria to starve and die off by as much as 73%.
Xylitol also helps keep the natural pH of the mouth, meaning the normal acidic byproducts that are formed by fermented sugars are lessened.
Many studies from the 1970s shows that consuming xylitol can actually result in a reduction of tooth decay ranging from 30%, with three exposures a day, to an incredible 80%, with five!
You can purchase xylitol sweeteners from your local retailer to get your xylitol sweetener today or visit our xylitol products page to see what brands you can purchase online!
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