Benefits of Xylitol
There are two main factors that contribute to poor oral health and dental disease. They are acidity and bacterial imbalance. Xylitol addresses both of these factors in a natural, sustainable way.
- Xylitol effectively “cleans” the mouth by helping to adjust dense, plaque-infected biofilm to thin, protective healthy biofilm.
- Xylitol addresses many oral health problems with a prebiotic approach, including bad breath, gingivitis & cavities, by suppressing harmful plaque bacteria and promoting the healthy bacteria, to create a balanced, sustainable oral ecoystem.
- Xylitol stimulates nature’s natural healing by pulling mineral-rich saliva into the mouth. This will help protect teeth from wear, acid erosion, sensitivity and the discomfort of dry mouth (xerostomia).
Xylitol balances the oral bacterial ecosystem and makes plaque bacteria slippery, so it is easier to clean teeth and get rid of damaging plaque from teeth and gums. Xylitol’s effect is directly on the mouth microbiome and its effects are cumulative. This means that xylitol should be eaten in small amounts, often, and preferably after meals, drinks, snacks and (for anyone without a toothbrush) before sleeping or napping.
Infected plaque damages teeth, because these bacteria stick together and form thick layers on tooth enamel. Plaque bacteria make acids that are strong enough to erode teeth, creating a space where bacteria enter inside the tooth – forming a cavity.
Harmful plaque needs energy from our diet – sugars and carbohydrates from foods, drinks, crackers, chips, cakes, cookies, and even healthy products like fruits and juices. A gluten-free, or sugar-controlled diet may help, but cannot starve plaque bacteria or stop their growth. The good news is that xylitol can!
Harmful plaque absorbs xylitol, as if it were sugar, but the plaque bacteria cannot process the five carbon xylitol molecule – which is a different shape from the six carbon molecule of sugar. The result: these bacteria are depleted of energy, cannot multiply and can no longer form acids. Since they have no resources to produce sticky strands, they cannot bind together or to the tooth surface. This explains why xylitol makes harmful plaque slippery and unable to form thick layers on teeth.
