Dental Health
Encourage patients to regularly chew natural xylitol gum – (02-04-02)
Xylitol Only During URT Infections Failed to Prevent Acute Otitis Media
It funny how the medical research seems to momentarily swirl around a topic from time to time. This is probably the third article I’ve seen on xylitol in the past few weeks. Xylitol is a naturally occurring substance that is believed to affect the binding of bacterial cells to our cells, most notably in the oral cavity and upper respiratory tract.
Studies have used gum in children to show a drastically lowered incidence of dental caries (which do you think is harder–getting a 4 year old to brush or chew gum??). Other studies have shown that xylitol nasal washes dramatically lower asthmatic symptoms and , All these with very little cost and no side effects. I strongly encourage many patients to regularly chew natural xylitol gum.
Pediatrics — Abstracts: Tapiainen et al. 109 (2): e19
