xylitol the deﬁnitive guide for new parents

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the FreySmiles Oral Health Network

XylitolThe Definitive Guide for

New ParentsProvide a Healthier Dental Future for Your Children

Using Xylitol

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Table of ContentsGet to Know Xylitol---------------------------------------------------------• What is Xylitol? page 3• What Makes Xylitol Good for Teeth? page 3

How Can I Use Xylitol to Provide a Healthier Dental Future for My Child?-------------------------------------------• Prevent Vertical Transmission of Acid Producing Bacteria page 4• When Parents Should Start Using Xylitol page 5

Daily Instructions for Xylitol Use------------------------------------•!Xylitol Gum page 6• Xylitol Mints page 7

Why You Should Use 100% Xylitol Products-------------------------------------•!Use 100% Xylitol Products to Avoid Indigestion page 8

Keep Xylitol Away from Your Dog--------------------------------• Xylitol is Toxic to Dogs page 9




Get to Know Xylitol------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What is Xylitol?

Xylitol is a "tooth-friendly", non-fermentable sugar alcohol that is used as a naturally occurring sugar substitute because it is as sweet as normal sugar but has about two-thirds the food energy.

It is found in the fibers of many fruits and vegetables, and can be extracted from various berries, oats, and mushrooms, as well as fibrous material such as corn husks and sugar cane bagasse, and more commonly birch.

What Makes Xylitol Good for Teeth?

Xylitol is specific in its inhibition of mutans streptococci microorganisms, a group of acid producing bacteria that are the main contributors to tooth decay. This means that xylitol provides a targeted means of eliminating cavity causing bacteria.

When xylitol is taken up by these acid producing bacteria, the xylitol becomes bound to the transport proteins responsible for bringing sugars into the bacteria’s cells and stops those proteins from working. So not only have these bacteria brought in a sugar that they cannot use for energy, but they now cannot bring in additional sugars and they begin to starve.

Xylitol’s exceptional ability to cut off bacteria from their source of food, means that it is also able to inhibit the growth of mutans streptococci in the presence of other sugars (with the exception of fructose).

Even when bacteria are able to find a way to adapt to xylitol, studies have shown that these xylitol-tolerant bacteria adhere less well to tooth surfaces and produce fewer acids.




How Can I Use Xylitol to Provide a Healthier Dental Future for My Child?------------------------------------------------------------------------------Prevent Vertical Transmission of Acid Producing Bacteria

Obviously using xylitol to reduce the growth of acid producing bacteria is beneficial to your own dental health, but when used properly, xylitol is ideally suited to disrupt the vertical transmission of acid producing bacteria from parent to child.

Parents are the most important determinants of oral health for their children. Using xylitol as a parent reduces the number of acid producing bacteria in your saliva and helps keep your cooties off your child’s teeth during the important early years of their dental development.

Bacteria are an essential part of the natural flora in our mouths, but the right bacteria (ones that don’t produce acids) are needed for dental health. Encouraging the right bacteria to grow early on, will put your children on the right foot for healthy teeth and gums in the future.




When Parents Should Start Using Xylitol

Parents, especially Moms, should start using xylitol 3 to 6 months following childbirth and continue until your child is two and a half years of age.

A complete Timeline for Guiding Your Child Toward Dental Health is available online.


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Age

Child Age 19-31mo - Primary Infectivity Window

Child Age 6-24mo - Eruption of Primary Teeth

Child Age 3-31mo - Mom Xylitol Use

Child Age 6yrs - Eruption of Permanent 1st Molars

27-28 month long Secondary Infectivity Window

Childʼs First Dental Visit - Within 6mo of first tooth, and before 12mo old



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Daily Instructions for Xylitol Use------------------------------------------------------------------------------Xylitol Gum

Xylitol gum is the most effective means of delivery, and it’s easy.

• You must chew gum enough gum to reach a dose of 6-10 grams of xylitol per day in order to be effective against bacteria. This means you will need to chew more than one piece.

• Chew the gum for a minimum of 5 minutes. This is easiest if you do it right after meals. If you chew gum containing at least 2 grams worth of xylitol after all three meals you’ll easily reach the minimum effective dose.

• For more detailed instructions check out our post on Xylitol Gum Usage. Below is a table of your xylitol gum options:


BrandXylitol Content

(per piece)100% Xylitol

(Y/N)

Spry

Epic

Peelu

Xyloburst

Trident Fusion

Trident Xtra Care

Xylimax

Xponent

Ice Breakers Ice Cubes Sugarfree

Ricochet

B-Fresh

Zellies

0.72 grams Yes

1.06 grams Yes

0.7 grams Yes

1 gram Yes

0.17 grams No

0.14 grams No

0.7 grams Yes

0.72 grams Yes

1.1grams No

0.72 grams Yes

0.85 grams Yes

1 gram Yes



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Xylitol Mints

Not everyone enjoys chewing gum. If you have TMJ problems or your jaws get sore from chewing gum, xylitol mints are a good alternative to gum.

• You will need to receive a dose of 10 grams of xylitol per day in order to be effective against bacteria. This means sucking on more than one mint in a day.

• Let the mints dissolve in your mouth. To reach the targeted dose of 10 grams of xylitol, consume mints containing 2 grams worth of xylitol five times throughout the day.

• For more detailed information check out our post on Xylitol Mint Usage. Below is a table of readily available xylitol mint options:


BrandXylitol

Content (per piece)

100% Xylitol (Y/

N)

Spry

Epic

0.5 grams Yes

1 gram Yes



http://www.freysmiles.com/blog/view/xylitol-mints-as-an-effective-alternative-to-xylitol-gum

Why You Should Use 100% Xylitol Products------------------------------------------------------------------------------Use 100% Xylitol Products to Avoid Indigestion

Xylitol like all sugar alcohols, with the exception of erythritol, when consumed in excess of one's laxation threshold (the amount of sweetener that can be consumed before abdominal discomfort sets in) can result in temporary gastrointestinal side effects, such as bloating, flatulence, and diarrhea.

Typically, consuming greater than 14 grams of sugar alcohols will cause indigestion. When using xylitol products with other sugar alcohols added, you may reach your laxation threshold before reaching the minimum effective dose of xylitol. Additionally, sugar alcohol additives such as mannitol and sorbitol are more likely to cause indigestion. Thus it is important to use gums and mints that contain only xylitol.




Keep Xylitol Away from Your Dog------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Xylitol is Toxic to Dogs

If you are going to use xylitol and you have any dogs in the house, make sure you store all gum or mints far out of reach from your dogs. Xylitol like chocolate is toxic to dogs.





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xylitol the deﬁnitive guide for new parents

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