- Fiddlehead Dental, St. Albans

Xylitol Gum & Mints

Why Use Xylitol?

(It's a great new chemical in gums and mints!)

Xylitol is a "tooth-friendly" sugar!

Recent research confirms that there is a compound in xylitol that has some chemical properties similar to regular sugar that attracts, but then "starves" harmful micro-organisms. This allows the mouth to remineralize damaged teeth with less interruption.

Reasons to LOVE this new help in our fight to keep our teeth:

Xylitol is DEATH to the "strep" group of bacteria that are significant contributors to tooth decay.
Saliva containing xylitol is more alkaline (basic) than saliva which contains other sugar products. When saliva is alkaline (i.e., its pH is above 7) it helps to keep the enamel crystals strong. If you are drinking anything but water or milk as a routine, the pH of your mouth is often the same as vinegar. Xylitol can reduce the damaging effects of these habits!

Here's some of the best brands:

THIS IS THE MOST COMMON BRAND!

THERE ARE ALSO THESE...

B-Fresh

B-Fresh chewing gum costs about $10 for a bottle of 100 pieces. There are .85 grams of xylitol in every piece.

Spry

Spry typically costs about $6.20 for a pack of 100. There are .72 grams of xylitol in every piece.

Xponent

Xponent gum costs about $14 for each bottle of 100 pieces. There are .72 grams of xylitol in every piece.

Xylichew

A pack of 100 pieces of Xylichew typically costs about $9. There are .72 grams of xylitol in every piece.

Trident

Trident's variety of xylitol gum costs $1.29 for a pack of 18. There are .17 grams of xylitol in each piece.

Not only does it have fewer calories and less effect on blood sugar than sucrose, but xylitol gum has the added benefit of inhibiting the creation of acid in the mouth. This minimizes the damage done to your teeth, as well as allowing your teeth to heal at a faster rate if you have habits that keep your mouth very acidic. (see our page about acidic food and drink list.)

Xylitol has a low glycemic index of 7, compared to sugar's level of 83.

It is recommended that you chew a piece of xylitol gum after every meal or snack for maximum benefit to your teeth as it may reduce the risk of tooth decay.

Lastly, products sweetened with xylitol create an unwelcome environment for bacteria; they simply cannot stick to teeth in a xylitol-rich environment.