Xylitol Helps Reduce Childhood Tooth Decay
Tooth decay is a common yet preventable issue in childhood. If left untreated, cavities in both baby and permanent teeth can become painful and negatively affect how teeth look and function.
Some children are more prone to tooth decay, even with regular dental checkups and good oral care at home. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) has recently recognized the benefits of a natural substance called xylitol in reducing tooth decay in children.
What Exactly is Xylitol?
Xylitol is a natural substance found in various fruits and vegetables. Some common foods rich in xylitol include berries, mushrooms, corn, and lettuce. Research suggests that consuming 4-20 grams of xylitol daily, spread over three or more servings, can reduce tooth decay and cavities by as much as 70%. To give you an idea, a single cup of berries contains just under one gram of xylitol.
It can be challenging to encourage young children, especially toddlers, to consistently eat four or more cups of fruits or vegetables each day. For this reason, xylitol is also available as a sugar substitute, in chewing gum, and as a concentrated ingredient in many health foods. No other sugar substitute has shown the same level of benefit for young teeth.
It's important to note that consuming excessive amounts of xylitol doesn't provide "more" protection against tooth decay. Sticking to the recommended daily amount is sufficient to enhance other cavity-prevention efforts, and the positive effects can last well into the future.
How Does Xylitol Help Prevent Cavities?
Several factors can increase a child's risk of developing tooth decay and cavities. These include oral care habits, diet, carbohydrate intake, sucrose (table sugar) intake, saliva flow rate, and how resistant the teeth are to plaque.
Specifically, harmful oral bacteria feed on sugar and carbohydrates, producing acids as a byproduct. When sugary foods are consumed, these acids attack and weaken the vulnerable tooth enamel. Xylitol helps to neutralize these acids, reducing the destruction of enamel and minimizing the risk of cavities. Xylitol also encourages the production of saliva, which helps to continuously wash away food particles, plaque, and bacteria from the teeth. When used in combination with fluoride, xylitol helps to remineralize teeth, strengthening the enamel and reducing the formation of new cavities.
When Should My Child Start Using Xylitol?
While xylitol gum might not be suitable for very young children, infants can actually benefit from their mothers chewing it! Mothers of children between three months and two years old who chewed xylitol gum several times a day were found to protect their children from tooth decay until the age of five. In this case, xylitol helped reduce the transmission of harmful microorganisms from mother to child.
Once a child reaches toddlerhood, xylitol can be used as a sugar substitute in foods and drinks, or they can benefit from the xylitol naturally present in fruits and vegetables. Older children can reduce their risk of developing new cavities by chewing xylitol gum.
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