Soderling E. Makinen KK. Chen CY. Pape HR Jr. Loesche W. Makinen PL. Effect of sorbitol, xylitol, and xylitol/sorbitol chewing gums on dental plaque. Caries Research. 23(5):378-84, 1989.
The effect of sorbitol (SOR), xylitol (XYL), and the mixture XYL/SOR
in chewing gums on dental plaque was studied in three groups of 7 adults
(mean age 22.5 years). A fourth group of habitual users of sucrose-containing
gums was used as a control. The study involved a 2-week, no-gum period followed
by the use of the polyol gums for 2 weeks (10 gums/day in 5 2-gum doses).
The daily consumption of XYL and SOR in the XYL and SOR groups was 10.9
g, whereas in the XYL/SOR group, 8.5 and 2.4 g of these polyols were used
per day. At the end of the gum period the acidogenic response of the 48-hour
plaque was tested using a 10-ml mouthrinse containing the polyols (10% w/v)
present in the experimental gums, followed by a 10-ml rinse of 10% (w/v)
sucrose solution. The plaque of the subjects who used XYL and XYL/SOR gums
showed a significantly better ability to resist pH drops induced by the
sucrose rinse than the plaque in the SOR gum group. No changes in resting
pH values were observed in the XYL and XYL/SOR groups, whereas the use of
SOR gum was associated with significantly lower pH values. The amount of
plaque decreased in the XYL/SOR (24.3%) and the XYL (29.4%) groups, but
increased in the SOR (48.3%) group, the changes in the SOR group differing
significantly from those found in the other groups. The plaque and saliva
levels of Streptococcus mutans generally increased in the SOR group, but
decreased in groups which used XYL.
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