Evidence supports the regular use of chewing gum sweetened with xylitol, and to a lesser extent sorbitol, as part of a regimen for caries control. A review of published studies conducted by Dr. Brian Burt compared the action of chewing gum sweetened with sorbitol versus that sweetened with xylitol in terms of caries inhibition, and assessed the role each plays in caries prevention. The evidence indicates that chewing gum sweetened with sorbitol had low cariogenicity when chewed no more than 3 times a day. In small amounts, sorbitol does not lower the pH of plaque to a point where enamel demineralization occurs, but in larger amounts it increases acid production in plaque and the number of sorbitol-fermenting microorganisms. Chewing gum sweetened with xylitol has been found to be noncariogenic in all tested protocols. Data are increasingly supporting the use of chewing gum sweetened with xylitol 3 to 5 times a day for a minimum of 5 minutes after meals to inhibit plaque accumulation and enamel demineralization, and to enhance remineralization of early lesions and reduce counts of S. mutans. More studies are needed to determine if xylitol-sweetened gum can actually arrest carious lesions.
(Source: Journal of the American Dental Association, Vol. 137, February 2006)
