title: The effect of xylitol on Streptococcus mutans in children.
abstract: A study was performed on 91 second-grade students from the Los Angeles Unified School District to test the effects of xylitol chewing gum on Streptococcus mutans in the saliva. Saliva was collected from students and tested for the first time using the new University of California, Los Angeles, monoclonal antibody testing method. Students found to have moderate or high levels of salivary S. mutans were administered four tablets/day of xylitol gum for three weeks. The levels of S. mutans in the saliva of children in the high caries index subgroup decreased by 61.7 percent. Xylitol can be dispensed in a public school setting by school nurses and can be a very safe, efficient and inexpensive preventative measure for children at high risk for dental caries.
authors.affiliation: University of California School of Dentistry, USA.
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Massoth
authors.forename: Gabrielle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Massoth
authors.forename: I Richard
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Massoth
authors.forename: Lise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Laflamme
authors.forename: Wenyuan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Chuhong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gu
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D002638:Chewing Gum; D002648:Child; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D006801:Humans; D012463:Saliva / Q000382:microbiology; D012571:School Dentistry; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014993:Xylitol / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D002638:Chewing Gum; D013549:Sweetening Agents; D014993:Xylitol