There is more evidence for the effectiveness of the natural sweetener xylitol in the prevention of dental caries in children in this double-blind randomized clinical trial published in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. Xylitol given as an oral syrup resulted in these findings: “Compared with the control group, there were significantly fewer decayed teeth in the Xyl-2x and in the Xyl-3x group. No statistical difference was noted between the 2 xylitol treatment groups.” This means that there was no apparent difference between giving the xylitol 2 times per day and 3 times per day. The authors conclude: “Xylitol oral syrup administered topically 2 or 3 times daily at a total daily dose of 8 g was effective in preventing early childhood caries.”

And here’s another study just published in The Journal of Pediatrics, a double-blind randomized controlled trial that also demonstrated similar efficacy for the reduction of dental caries in very young children. The conclusion was identical: “Xylitol oral syrup administered topically 2 or 3 times daily at a total daily dose of 8 g was effective in reducing early childhood caries progression.” As you probably know, xylitol is available in chewing gum and toothpaste. I like the Unda products from Belgium for their additional ingredients.

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