Dental Benefits of Xylitol
Tooth decay happens when bacteria in your mouth consume the sugar we eat. When you eat food containing ordinary sugar (sucrose), it gives bacteria on your teeth energy, allowing them to multiply and start making acids that can eat away at the enamel on the teeth.
Xylitol is a sweet, white substance that looks and tastes like sugar, but has 40% less calories than sucrose and is diabetic friendly. Xylitol is organic and natural – found in the fibers of fruits and vegetables like corn, berries and mushrooms and in the wood of trees like the birch. It does not break down like sugar and can help keep a neutral pH level in the mouth.
Xylitol prevents bacteria from sticking to the teeth and that is how it protects them from decay. When the plaque bacteria absorb Xylitol, they cannot multiply, produce acids, or stick to teeth. Toxic, cavity forming plaque bacteria die each time they are in contact with Xylotol. As harmful bacteria are cleaned away, new Xylitol-resistant bacteria take their place. These new bacteria do not produce acids, do not damage teeth and do not form sticky layers of plaque. After 5 weeks of eating at least 6 grams of Xylitol each day, sticky plaque bacteria will no longer be found on teeth. After 6 months, these bacteria are undetectable in saliva and on the tongue.
Studies indicate that 4 – 20 grams each day, divided into three or more helpings, can reduce tooth decay and cavities by as much as 70%. It may be hard to consistently eat four or more cups of fruit or vegetables each day; a single cup of berries contains less than one gram of Xylitol. For that reason, it is available as a sugar substitute, gum, and in healhty foods.
At Advanced Dentistry by Design, we are interested in helping you reverse the rising trend of negative health and high health-care cost. While we know it won’t happen overnight, improving your health can begin sooner than later. Watch for future articles on Xylitol and other products available in our practice to help you to be the best YOU possible.