• Log in with Facebook Log in with Twitter Log In with Google      Sign In    
  • Create Account
  LongeCity
              Advocacy & Research for Unlimited Lifespans

Photo

dental health


  • Please log in to reply
73 replies to this topic

#1 ajnast4r

  • Guest, F@H
  • 3,925 posts
  • 147
  • Location:USA
  • NO

Posted 04 February 2006 - 09:44 PM


my current dental regimen is just not cutting it...for whatever reason my teeth just seem to be prone to cavities, so im gonna switch my products around. ive been giving some thought to using xylitol, as ive heard consistant use can have a marked effect on dental bacteria/plaque... so much so that it can result in the remineralization of cavities.

thoughts? input?



http://www.xlear.com/spry/


studies/pubmed:
http://www.xlear.com...px?focus=dental

#2 xanadu

  • Guest
  • 1,917 posts
  • 8

Posted 04 February 2006 - 10:16 PM

Got any links that aren't from the vendor? I've heard going back over 10 years that xylitol was supposed to be good for preventing cavities but I thought that meant using it instead of sugar. I am very sceptical about remineralisation.

#3 ajnast4r

  • Topic Starter
  • Guest, F@H
  • 3,925 posts
  • 147
  • Location:USA
  • NO

Posted 04 February 2006 - 11:22 PM

the 2nd link i gave you, is all links to pubmed studies... so its not vendor related

sponsored ad

  • Advert

#4 xanadu

  • Guest
  • 1,917 posts
  • 8

Posted 05 February 2006 - 12:54 AM

Yes, you are correct. I saw the xclear in the second link and didn't click on it. Very interesting, it seem xylitol acts as a drug. I always assumed it's benefit was from the fact that it replaced sugar reducing the destruction causes by that substance. The term "remineralisation" doesn't make a lot of sense to me. They speak of less calcium being found in plaque after xylitol use but all that indicates to me is less minerals eroded or leached away. To re-mineralise I would have expected calcium levels in the teeth to be higher. Perhaps with growing children this would happen.

Seems like you could just eat some or take a pill every day to get the benefit. Or does using it in the mouth for an extended period add to the effects? Seems like it might. Where do you find xylitol gum? I looked for it several years ago and didn't see any.

#5 ajnast4r

  • Topic Starter
  • Guest, F@H
  • 3,925 posts
  • 147
  • Location:USA
  • NO

Posted 05 February 2006 - 01:18 AM

my understanding is it actually destroys whatever mechanism that bacteria use to hold on to the teeth...

"Spry fights cavities and plaque by creating an unwelcome environment for bacteria; they simply cannot stick to teeth in a Xylitol-rich environment"

"Consistent use of Spry products can:
Reduce cavities by up to 80%
Inhibit the ability of cavity-causing, plaque-forming bacteria to stick to teeth
Reverse early cavity formation "

i bought the spry(http://www.xlear.com/spry/) stuff today... i know a guy who reps for spry and he pretty much convinced me its the best xylitol products on the market. he's pretty knowledgable so i believe him. plus we had it in my store [tung]

i got the toothpaste, mouthwash, and gum... all taste pretty good and were pretty cheap


remineralization:

Remineralization effects of xylitol on demineralized enamel. We morphologically determined the effects of xylitol on the remineralization of artificially demineralized enamel. The samples were demineralized and then immersed in a remineralizing solution with or without 20% xylitol at 37 degrees C for 2 weeks.  Samples immersed in a xylitol solution demonstrated less mineralization in the outer 10 microm of the outermost surface layers, but more mineralization in the middle and deep layerss. The MIP evaluation indicated that remineralization was more prominent in layers at depths of 50-60 microm in the xylitol samples than in the non-xylitol samples.  These results indicate that xylitol can induce remineralization of deeper layers of demineralized enamel by facilitating Ca2+ movement and accessibility. Clinical Trial Randomized Controlled Trial PMID: 14960009 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] J Electron Microsc (Tokyo). 2003;52(5):471-6.Miake Y, Saeki Y, Takahashi M, Yanagisawa T.




Xylitol is clinically proven to fight Plaque, Fight Cavities, Reduce the secretion of Plaque Acids, & Facilitates the Remineralization of Tooth Enamel

1: Int Dent J 1995 Feb;45(1 Suppl 1):65-76 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut 

Xylitol chewing gum and dental caries.

Tanzer JM.

Department of Oral Diagnosis, University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine, Farmington.

There is an extensive peer-reviewed literature on xylitol chewing gum as it pertains to effects on tooth decay in human subjects, on human dental plaque reduction, on inhibition of dental plaque acid production, on inhibition of the growth and metabolism of the mutans group of streptococci which are the prime causative agents of tooth decay, on reduction of tooth decay in experimental animals, and on xylitol's reported contribution to the remineralisation of teeth. The literature not only supports the conclusion that xylitol is non-cariogenic but it is now strongly suggestive that xylitol is caries inhibitory, that is, anti-cariogenic in human subjects, and it supplies reasonable mechanistic explanation(s).

Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial

PMID: 7607747 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] 



#6 xanadu

  • Guest
  • 1,917 posts
  • 8

Posted 05 February 2006 - 10:56 PM

Most of the claims made for xylitol seem to indicate it's a drug rather than something that just stops bacteria while it's present. If that was all it did, it would not continue to work for a long period afterwards.

So it seems one has to order the stuff? Might it be found at a health food store or even a grocery store? I hate paying triple the price and then seeing it cheap somewhere that I shop.

#7 DukeNukem

  • Guest
  • 2,008 posts
  • 141
  • Location:Dallas, Texas

Posted 08 February 2006 - 05:17 AM

I've been chewing Spry gum for several years, and I make sure my kids chew some after every meal. It's hard to know if it's had positive effects -- I go to the dentist 3-4 times a year anyway for a good cleaning, and everything always checks out good. I recently ordered the Green Tea gum (with xylitol) from Restless Improvement, and it's also very good -- though not cheap.

#8 xanadu

  • Guest
  • 1,917 posts
  • 8

Posted 08 February 2006 - 06:37 PM

Where do you buy spry gum? Is it sold over the counter? I assume it has xylitol in it.

#9 DukeNukem

  • Guest
  • 2,008 posts
  • 141
  • Location:Dallas, Texas

Posted 08 February 2006 - 07:02 PM

Whole Foods has it, plus you can order via Amazon.

#10 xanadu

  • Guest
  • 1,917 posts
  • 8

Posted 10 February 2006 - 01:32 AM

I decided to order 1lb of pure xylitol powder. I plan to put a little bit in the water I drink, some in the juice I drink and I'll probably find other places to use it. I don't see any point in paying through the nose for gum. I don't even use gum normally and it would be much easier to add it to water I drink all day. Plus the fact it'll be much cheaper. At about 2 cents a gram, how many days will that gram last me vs several dollars a pack for gum? I could put it into caps but it seems indicated that it should come in contact with the teeth and gums though I imagine it would be effective to some degree if you just took a cap of it each day.

#11 ajnast4r

  • Topic Starter
  • Guest, F@H
  • 3,925 posts
  • 147
  • Location:USA
  • NO

Posted 10 February 2006 - 02:20 AM

no, it must come in contact with the teeth.

i dont know how much thats gonna do unless you swish every sip around in your mouth. i also dont know how safe consuming large amounts of xylitol is, i would be worried about its effect on intestinal bacteria, espcially if your are drinking large amounts. if anything i would sprinkle it on my toothpaste and make a mouthwash mix with some water. i would NOT drink that stuff down everyday.

the gum would defintly keep the xylitol in the mouth and on the teeth alot longer than drinking the water.

the gum is really cheap, its like 80 cents per 12 pieces... which is over a weeks worth if you chew 1 or 2 pieces a day...and im sure you could get it alot cheap online.

#12 DukeNukem

  • Guest
  • 2,008 posts
  • 141
  • Location:Dallas, Texas

Posted 10 February 2006 - 02:54 AM

As ajn said, it need to stay in your mouth. There are xylitol mouth washes, but it's much handier to have gum in your office or car, to use after you've had a meal or snack, as a way to help stop food bacteria from forming.

I know people who use xylitol in their drinks, and too much can easily lead to bloating, and hurried trips to the rest room. Not that I know from experience, thankfully.

#13 xanadu

  • Guest
  • 1,917 posts
  • 8

Posted 10 February 2006 - 06:33 PM

They say don't use more than 50gm a day or you'll get indigestion but that's a lot. I was thinking about putting 1/4 tsp in a 16 oz glass of water. In the studies they used 5 sticks of gum a day so I don't know if 1 or 2 sticks would be enough. I have a big glass of water and sip it all day long. I have a water bottle (glass) that I take with me when I go out so I'm always sipping. That'll get it in contact with the teeth and gums just fine. It isn't the chewing gum that does the job, its the xylitol. I think my lb will last a year at least. Cost me $10 with shipping. I can't see starting up a habit of chewing gum when I haven't chewed in years. If you drink coffee, use it instead of sugar. If you bake or sweeten anything, use it instead of sugar. I don't do any of that so I came up with the idea of putting a little in my water.

Too bad we can't buy products in the stores with good stuff like xylitol instead of sugar. Of course there is the 50gm a day limit. You could use inositol instead of sugar but it's a little expensive. I bet there would be people who'd pay it.

#14 FunkOdyssey

  • Guest
  • 3,443 posts
  • 166
  • Location:Manchester, CT USA

Posted 10 February 2006 - 06:47 PM

I tried using Xylitol as a sweetener in my green tea, but it did very little to sweeten the taste, even with relatively large amounts. I was determined to stick with it because of the dental health benefits, but my gf promptly switched back to stevia for her tea. I started growing jealous about how much better her tea was than mine, and eventually I said the hell with xylitol and switched back too. Just my experience.

I am interested in trying Spry though, maybe it works better in a gum.

#15 ajnast4r

  • Topic Starter
  • Guest, F@H
  • 3,925 posts
  • 147
  • Location:USA
  • NO

Posted 10 February 2006 - 06:51 PM

i would be worried about how ingesting xylitol would infect intestinal bacteria... it destroys the ability of bacteria in the mouth to adhere to anything, if it had the same effect on intestinal bacteria you would be in for a WORLD of trouble.

#16 vizikahn

  • Guest
  • 49 posts
  • 0
  • Location:Oulu, Finland

Posted 10 February 2006 - 07:36 PM

In Finland xylitol gums and candies are sold basically everywhere, there's about hundred different brands. I chew mostly salmiakki-xylitol gum and guarana-caffeine-taurine-xylitol gum.

Xylifresh is quite popular brand, one gum = 2,6 grams of xylitol. You can probably order it from here: http://www.finnishfo...products_id=486

According to dentists, 3-5 gums a day, chewed 5-10 minutes after meal, is enough.

#17 FunkOdyssey

  • Guest
  • 3,443 posts
  • 166
  • Location:Manchester, CT USA

Posted 10 February 2006 - 07:42 PM

Nobody knows anything about xylitol here in america. Why do we have to be so backwards on health issues? [cry]

#18 synaesthetic

  • Guest
  • 230 posts
  • 0
  • Location:San Diego

Posted 10 February 2006 - 08:05 PM

I enjoy the newer Tropical Twist "kiwi citrus" xylitol gum from trident, they sell it pretty much everywhere at least around here in san diego.

#19 FunkOdyssey

  • Guest
  • 3,443 posts
  • 166
  • Location:Manchester, CT USA

Posted 10 February 2006 - 08:16 PM

Yeah, thats good, but we're still 30 years behind...

Researchers in Finland have been working with a natural sweetener called xylitol for the last 30 years. There, massive health education programs have been used to educate the public on the enormous health benefits and safety of using xylitol.


  • like x 1

#20 ajnast4r

  • Topic Starter
  • Guest, F@H
  • 3,925 posts
  • 147
  • Location:USA
  • NO

Posted 10 February 2006 - 09:37 PM

I enjoy the newer Tropical Twist "kiwi citrus" xylitol gum from trident, they sell it pretty much everywhere at least around here in san diego.


garbage... last time i saw trident xylitol gum it ALSO had every artificial sweetener under the sun.

stick with spry or xylichew

#21 xanadu

  • Guest
  • 1,917 posts
  • 8

Posted 10 February 2006 - 11:04 PM

i would be worried about how ingesting xylitol would infect intestinal bacteria... it destroys the ability of bacteria in the mouth to adhere to anything, if it had the same effect on intestinal bacteria you would be in for a WORLD of trouble.


If you believe that, why are you touting xylitol gum? You do realise it gets into your intestines either way don't you?

funkodyssey, I'm surprised it didn't do the sweetening job. I've heard it's more sweet than glucose and about the same as fructose. I'm just getting it for the dental benefits. I don't care that much about sweetening.

#22 FunkOdyssey

  • Guest
  • 3,443 posts
  • 166
  • Location:Manchester, CT USA

Posted 10 February 2006 - 11:22 PM

The brand I used was vitamin shoppe brand, maybe theirs is crappy? Their other store brand products have compared very favorably to the big names... they've got stevia packets with FOS that are a Sweetleaf knockoff, tastes the same and actually disolves better into liquid than the original (and is WAY cheaper).

#23 ajnast4r

  • Topic Starter
  • Guest, F@H
  • 3,925 posts
  • 147
  • Location:USA
  • NO

Posted 11 February 2006 - 12:39 AM

If you believe that, why are you touting xylitol gum? You do realise it gets into your intestines either way don't you?

funkodyssey, I'm surprised it didn't do the sweetening job. I've heard it's more sweet than glucose and about the same as fructose. I'm just getting it for the dental benefits. I don't care that much about sweetening.


each piece contains about 1/2 a gram of xylitol... i chew maybe a total of 2 grams per day. i also use the mouth wash & brush after every meal.

you would be ingesting alot more by drinking it all day long.

#24 xanadu

  • Guest
  • 1,917 posts
  • 8

Posted 11 February 2006 - 06:29 PM

I could easily adjust the dosage so I get 2 or 3gm xylitol per day. That's not hard at all. I don't think you need to worry about it hurting your intestinal bacteria. If that had happened, they would have noticed it in the trials. Plaque only seems to form on teeth and little to none on gums and soft tissue. Xylitol prevents bacteria adhering to teeth but we have very few teeth in our gut so that should not be an issue. I think you did us a service by bringing this up. I first heard about xylitol around 15 years ago but never was able to find any. This was before my internet days. Isn't the net great!

#25 johnmk

  • Guest
  • 429 posts
  • 4

Posted 11 February 2006 - 08:19 PM

I enjoy the newer Tropical Twist "kiwi citrus" xylitol gum from trident, they sell it pretty much everywhere at least around here in san diego.


garbage... last time i saw trident xylitol gum it ALSO had every artificial sweetener under the sun.

stick with spry or xylichew


Why must you express every opinion so stridently and with such certainty, particularly on a subject where there is so much disagreement in these forums? Reasonable people believe the artificial sweeteners you disparage aren't harmful. I suggest a more balanced and honest approach with regards to attempting to help and inform other people. It's OK to use words like "might."

#26 ajnast4r

  • Topic Starter
  • Guest, F@H
  • 3,925 posts
  • 147
  • Location:USA
  • NO

Posted 12 February 2006 - 03:06 AM

Why must you express every opinion so stridently and with such certainty, particularly on a subject where there is so much disagreement in these forums? Reasonable people believe the artificial sweeteners you disparage aren't harmful. I suggest a more balanced and honest approach with regards to attempting to help and inform other people. It's OK to use words like "might."


because im a leo... or arrogant. whatever you choose.

theres enough controversy surrounding artificial sweeteners, that im not willing to risk it. its rare you see such a GIANT swarm over an issue, when there isnt atleast some truth to the claims. the majority of people i know who are even remotely health conscious, avoid artificial sweeteners... and why wouldnt you when there are perfectly good alternatives that dont contain them?

#27 johnmk

  • Guest
  • 429 posts
  • 4

Posted 12 February 2006 - 03:15 AM

I don't believe they're as harmful as you do . . . I've probably seen the same evidence you have and come to a different conclusion. If there were perfectly good alternatives, sure. But within the realm of "perfect" are such terms as cheap and available as an impulse buy. I can buy Trident anywhere.

#28 ajnast4r

  • Topic Starter
  • Guest, F@H
  • 3,925 posts
  • 147
  • Location:USA
  • NO

Posted 12 February 2006 - 03:23 AM

my pack of spry probably costs the same as your trident... i paid 80 cents for the pack i have now. if finding a healthfood store or ordering a box online is such an inconvenience... *Shrug* eat trident

#29 xanadu

  • Guest
  • 1,917 posts
  • 8

Posted 12 February 2006 - 07:07 PM

There is more than a little controversy over aspartame. People have died after using the stuff. It causes headaches, nausea and other problems in millions of people. I'm one of them, it makes me sick. That and msg are two of the most harmfull substances in the food supply that are perfectly legal.

#30 syr_

  • Guest
  • 500 posts
  • 2
  • Location:Italy
  • NO

Posted 13 February 2006 - 12:19 PM

what is MSG?
I dont think all artificial sweeteners are on the same leage about toxicity. The only chemical that has *proven* side effects is aspartame, and there are more and more alternatives to it.

natural alternatives... xylitol and stevia are the only ones sweet enough. Stevia has a STRONG taste - i cant use with everything.




1 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users