title: Long-term effect of xylitol chewing gum in the prevention of dental caries: a follow-up 5 years after termination of a prevention program.
abstract: About 65% of the original 258 children who participated in 1982-1984 in a caries prevention program involving the use of xylitol chewing gum were retrieved in 1989 for a follow-up study. Ninety-five subjects from the original xylitol (X) group and 70 subjects from the original control (no-gum, C) group were available. In 1984, when the children completed the program at the age of 13-14 years, the caries scores were significantly lower in children who had used xylitol gums daily, compared with the C group. In 1989, 5 years after the discontinuation of the gum program, the difference between the X and C groups had continued to increase in favor of the X group. These effects were explained by assuming that the X gum program had facilitated the establishment of a low-virulent bacterial flora on the surfaces of the teeth, and especially on those teeth that erupted during the trial proper. This type of results are possibly helpful when evaluating cost-benefit ratios of caries prevention.
authors.affiliation: Ylivieska Health Center, Finland.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Isogangas
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Mäkinen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tiekso
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alanen
mesh_terms: D002638:Chewing Gum; D002648:Child; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014993:Xylitol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D002638:Chewing Gum; D014993:Xylitol