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Effects of short-term xylitol gum chewing on the oral microbiome

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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.

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Acknowledgments

The excellent technical assistance of biomedical research technician Oona Hällfors (Institute of Dentistry, University of Turku, Finland) and Anisha Varghese (Faculty of Dentistry, University of Kuwait, Kuwait) is gratefully acknowledged. The STABPRO project (funded by TEKES, Finland) and Finnish Dental Society Apollonia are acknowledged for providing funding for the study. This study was also supported by Kuwait University grants DD02/10, GD01/11, SRUL02/13.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Dentistry, University of Turku, Lemminkäisenkatu 2, 20520, Turku, Finland

    Eva Söderling & Mimmi Tolvanen

  2. Faculty of Dentistry, Kuwait University, P.O.Box 24923, Safat, 13110, Kuwait

    Mohamed ElSalhy, Eino Honkala & Sisko Honkala

  3. Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences & Endodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Michigan, 1011 N University Ave, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA

    Margherita Fontana, Susan Flannagan & George Eckert

  4. Department of Biostatistics, School of Medicine, Indiana University, 410 W Tenth St, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA

    George Eckert

  5. Department of Microbiology, The Forsyth Institute, 245 1st St, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA

    Alexis Kokaras & Bruce Paster

  6. Department of Oral Medicine, Infection & Immunity, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Bruce Paster

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  1. Eva Söderling
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  2. Mohamed ElSalhy
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  10. Sisko Honkala
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Correspondence to Eva Söderling.

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Söderling, E., ElSalhy, M., Honkala, E. et al. Effects of short-term xylitol gum chewing on the oral microbiome. Clin Oral Invest 19, 237–244 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00784-014-1229-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00784-014-1229-y

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