A practice-based study on the effect of a short sucrose/xylitol exposure on survival of primary teeth caries free.
BACKGROUND
In a randomized double-blinded clinical trial, preschool children used sucrose or xylitol chewing gum regularly for 2 months to study the preventive effect of xylitol on acute otitis media (AOM). Salivary mutans streptococci (sm) levels of the children were measured before the exposure. Those with ≥10(5) sm CFU in 1 mL saliva were considered to have high sm levels (sm+); and those with <10(5) CFU low sm levels (sm-).


OBJECTIVE
This practice-based study aims to evaluate long-term dental effects of the sucrose/xylitol exposure on primary teeth.


METHODS
For analyses, individuals were divided into sub groups according to their study group in the original AOM trial and baseline sm levels. Outcome events owing to dental caries of their all primary teeth were followed from dental records up to 12 years. Survival of teeth caries free was determined by Kaplan-Meier method and analysed statistically by Wilcoxon testing.


RESULTS
Survival of primary teeth caries free of children with high sm levels in the sucrose group was significantly shorter compared with all other groups when followed until shedding.


CONCLUSIONS
Two months' regular exposure to sucrose was sufficient to induce dental caries in primary teeth of children with elevated sm levels at baseline.
Institute of Dentistry, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland. vuokko.anttonen@oulu.fi
Vuokko
V
Anttonen
Ilkka
I
Halunen
Jari
J
Päkkilä
Markku
M
Larmas
Leo
L
Tjäderhane
D002326:Cariogenic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002638:Chewing Gum; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003733:Dental Caries Susceptibility; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000382:microbiology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D055094:Evidence-Based Dentistry; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012463:Saliva / Q000382:microbiology; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D013395:Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014080:Tooth Exfoliation; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014993:Xylitol / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D002326:Cariogenic Agents; D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D002638:Chewing Gum; D013395:Sucrose; D014993:Xylitol