Erschienen in:
01.03.2015 | Original Article
Effects of short-term xylitol gum chewing on the oral microbiome
verfasst von:
Eva Söderling, Mohamed ElSalhy, Eino Honkala, Margherita Fontana, Susan Flannagan, George Eckert, Alexis Kokaras, Bruce Paster, Mimmi Tolvanen, Sisko Honkala
Erschienen in:
Clinical Oral Investigations
|
Ausgabe 2/2015
Einloggen, um Zugang zu erhalten
Abstract
Objectives
The aim of this study was to determine the effects of short-term xylitol gum chewing on the salivary microbiota of children.
Materials and methods
The study was a randomised, controlled, double-blind trial. Healthy children used xylitol chewing gum (xylitol group, n = 35) or sorbitol chewing gum (control group, n = 38) for 5 weeks. The daily dose of xylitol/sorbitol was approximately 6 g/day. At baseline and at the end of the test period, unstimulated and paraffin-stimulated saliva were collected. The microbial composition of the saliva was assessed using human oral microbe identification microarray (HOMIM). Mutans streptococci (MS) were plate cultured.
Results
As judged by HOMIM results, no xylitol-induced changes in the salivary microbiota took place in the xylitol group. In the control group, Veillonella atypica showed a significant decrease (p = 0.0001). The xylitol gum chewing decreased viable counts of MS in both stimulated (p = 0.006) and unstimulated (p = 0.002) saliva, but similar effects were also seen in the control group.
Conclusions
The use of xylitol gum decreased MS, in general, but did not change the salivary microbial composition.
Clinical relevance
Short-term consumption of xylitol had no impact on the composition of the salivary microbiota, but resulted in a decrease in the levels of MS.