title: Influence of extraoral xylitol and sucrose dippings on enamel demineralization in vivo.
abstract: This paper describes the effect of xylitol on demineralized enamel in plaque-free and plaque-covered conditions in vivo. Fissure-like plaque retention grooves were created in 66 human enamel blocks and demineralized in vitro. The blocks were mounted in a prosthesis of 11 participants, who used a 2.5% xylitol, a 2.5% sucrose solution or water extraorally in a randomized cross-over design, for three periods of 16 days. The participants submerged the prosthesis twice a day in the solution during 5 min. Mineral loss and lesion depth were measured before and after the in vivo experiment, using quantitative microradiography and polarized light microscopy. Lesion depth at the surface enamel was +/- 45 microns, at the wall of the grooves +/- 30 microns and at the bottom of the grooves +/- 50 microns before the experiment. After 16 days the lesion depth at the wall of the grooves was +/- 40 microns and at the bottom of the grooves +/- 75 microns. In the grooves no differences were found between the xylitol, the sucrose and the water treatment. At the surface enamel a significant reduction of enamel demineralization was found after the xylitol dippings. The lesion depth at the surface enamel increased 17 microns after the sucrose treatment and 7 microns after the xylitol treatment. The mineral loss after the sucrose and the water treatment were both approximately three times higher than the mineral loss after the xylitol treatment.
authors.affiliation: University Dental School, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Smits
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Arends
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000032:analysis / Q000187:drug effects*; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008852:Microradiography; D008859:Microscopy, Polarization; D008875:Middle Aged; D008903:Minerals / Q000032:analysis; D011897:Random Allocation; D013395:Sucrose / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014993:Xylitol / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D008903:Minerals; D013395:Sucrose; D014993:Xylitol