title: Early prevention of childhood caries with maternal xylitol consumption.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of maternal xylitol consumption on children's salivary mutans streptococci (MS) level, caries activity, and plaque accumulation in contrast with maternal fluoride varnish in a group of mother-child pairs.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this randomized controlled trial, the study subjects were 60 mother-child pairs recruited from the pediatric dentistry clinic and the hospital well baby clinic at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The sample was recruited on the basis of maternal high salivary MS levels, and a child aged 10-36 months. The subjects were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Mothers in the experimental group chewed xylitol gum, 1.8 gram (66% xylitol by weight), 3 times/day for 3 months. Mothers in the control group received fluoride varnish. Both groups received oral hygiene instructions, dietary counseling, and restorative treatment. Children were examined after 6, 12, and 24 months from the initiation of the study to evaluate salivary MS levels, caries, and plaque accumulation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was an increase in MS levels in the experimental and control children at 24 months, which was non-significant in the experimental group, and significantly higher in the control group when compared with the baseline (p=0.008). The decayed, missing, filled scores of the children in the experimental group showed no change after 24 months, contrary to the controls that showed a significant increase (p=0.001). Plaque scores revealed no differences over time or between the 2 groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with fluoride varnish, maternal xylitol consumption provided preventive outcomes on salivary MS and caries levels in children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, PO Box 80209, Jeddah 21589, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. E-mail: nalamoudi@kau.edu.sa/Nalamoudi2011@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Najlaa M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Alamoudi
authors.forename: Azza G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Hanno
authors.forename: Abdullah S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Almushayt
authors.forename: Mohammad I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Masoud
authors.forename: Eman A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: El Ashiry
authors.forename: Douaa A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: El Derwi
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D014993:Xylitol / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D014993:Xylitol