Topical xylitol administration by parents for the promotion of oral health in infants: a caries prevention experiment at a Finnish Public Health Centre.

doi:10.1111/idj.12038

Paper

Topical xylitol administration by parents for the promotion of oral health in infants: a caries prevention experiment at a Finnish Public Health Centre.

Published Aug 1, 2013 · K. Mäkinen, Kirsti L Järvinen, Carita H Anttila

International dental journal

Q1 SJR score

16

Citations

0

Influential Citations

Full textSemantic Scholar

Abstract

OBJECTIVES This demonstration programme tested topical use of xylitol as a possible oral health promoting regimen in infants at a Finnish Public Health Centre in 2002-2011. METHODS Parents (usually mothers) began once- or twice-daily administration of a 45% solution of xylitol (2.96 m) onto all available deciduous teeth of their children at the age of approximately 6-8 months. The treatment (xylitol swabbing), which continued till the age of approximately 36 months (total duration 26-28 months), was carried out using cotton swabs or a children's toothbrush; the approximate daily xylitol usage was 13.5 mg per each deciduous tooth. RESULTS At the age of 7 years, caries data on the deciduous dentition of 80 children were compared with those obtained from similar, untreated children (n = 90). Xylitol swabbing resulted in a significant (P < 0.001) reduction in the incidence of enamel and dentine caries compared with the comparison subjects (relative risk 2.1 and 4.0, respectively; 95% confidence intervals 1.42-3.09 and 2.01-7.98, respectively). Similar findings were obtained when the children were 5 or 6 years old. The treatment reduced the need of tooth filling relative risk and 95% confidence intervals at 7 years: 11.86 and 6.36-22.10, respectively; P < 0.001). Compared with untreated subjects, the oral counts of mutans streptococci were reduced significantly (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Considerable improvement in dental health was accomplished in infants participating in a topical at-home xylitol administration experiment, which was offered to families in the area by the Public Health Centre as a supplement to standard oral health care. Caregiver assessment of the programme was mostly rated as high or satisfactory.

Non-RCT

Study Snapshot

Topical xylitol administration by parents significantly improves dental health in infants, reducing caries incidence and the need for tooth fillings.

PopulationOlder adults (50-71 years)

Sample size24

MethodsObservational

OutcomesBody Mass Index projections

ResultsSocial networks mitigate obesity in older groups.

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Topical xylitol administration by parents for the promotion of oral health in infants: a caries prevention experiment at a Finnish Public Health Centre.

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References

Effects of xylitol mouthrinse on Streptococcus mutans.

Xylitol mouthrinse significantly reduces Streptococcus mutans levels in saliva after four weeks of use, potentially offering a comparable bacteriostatic effect to other xylitol products.

A practice-based study on the effect of a short sucrose/xylitol exposure on survival of primary teeth caries free.

Two months' regular exposure to sucrose can induce dental caries in primary teeth of children with elevated salivary mutans streptococci levels.

Are We Ready for Definitive Clinical Guidelines on Xylitol/Polyol Use?

Habitual use of xylitol or polyol-combination chewing gum/lozenges is effective in coronal caries prevention, but well-designed, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials are needed for definitive recommendations.

Clinical Evidence for Polyol Efficacy

Xylitol, when incorporated into chewing gum or confections, is a safe and effective dental caries preventive, with potential benefits for both adults and children.

Xylitol Carryover Effects on Salivary Mutans Streptococci after 13 Months of Chewing Xylitol Gum

Chewing xylitol gum for 13 months significantly reduced salivary mutans streptococci levels, but these effects remained persistent in 23.3% of Japanese mothers with high salivary mutans streptococci levels.

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