Impact of Xylitol chewing gum on levels of oral Streptococcus mutans. A systematic review

Objectives. This systematic review evaluates the effectiveness of xylitol in combating Streptococcus mutans, a key bacterium associated with dental caries. Methods. We performed a search across Scopus, Open Grey, PubMed, Science Direct, and EBSCO databases. After screening and excluding articles th...

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Main Author: Antonio Tunes
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Amaltea Medical Publishing House 2024-09-01
Series:Romanian Journal of Stomatology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://rjs.com.ro/articles/2024.3/RJS_2024_3_Art-13.pdf
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author Antonio Tunes
author_facet Antonio Tunes
author_sort Antonio Tunes
collection DOAJ
description Objectives. This systematic review evaluates the effectiveness of xylitol in combating Streptococcus mutans, a key bacterium associated with dental caries. Methods. We performed a search across Scopus, Open Grey, PubMed, Science Direct, and EBSCO databases. After screening and excluding articles that did not meet our predefined inclusion criteria, we selected seven out of the eighty-nine initially identified articles. Data extraction was carried out in three stages: identification, screening, and assessment of eligibility. Results. Among the studies included in this review, six were randomized clinical trials, and one was a before-and-after comparison. Most of these studies indicate that xylitol chewing gum may effectively reduce S. mutans counts, potentially lowering the risk of dental caries. Conclusion. The reviewed studies show that xylitol chewing gum positively affects both the quality and quantity of S. mutans. It inhibits S. mutans adhesion to tooth surfaces, reduces the production of sticky substances, and alters the bacteria's morphology. Consequently, this leads to improvements in plaque index, gingival index, and DMFT scores.
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2069-6078
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spelling doaj-art-227ca68425c046719c6ff1464d2daa9c2025-08-20T02:03:27ZengAmaltea Medical Publishing HouseRomanian Journal of Stomatology1843-08052069-60782024-09-0170333033610.37897/RJS.2024.3.13Impact of Xylitol chewing gum on levels of oral Streptococcus mutans. A systematic reviewAntonio Tunes0Department of Prevention, Dental School, Argentina University, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaObjectives. This systematic review evaluates the effectiveness of xylitol in combating Streptococcus mutans, a key bacterium associated with dental caries. Methods. We performed a search across Scopus, Open Grey, PubMed, Science Direct, and EBSCO databases. After screening and excluding articles that did not meet our predefined inclusion criteria, we selected seven out of the eighty-nine initially identified articles. Data extraction was carried out in three stages: identification, screening, and assessment of eligibility. Results. Among the studies included in this review, six were randomized clinical trials, and one was a before-and-after comparison. Most of these studies indicate that xylitol chewing gum may effectively reduce S. mutans counts, potentially lowering the risk of dental caries. Conclusion. The reviewed studies show that xylitol chewing gum positively affects both the quality and quantity of S. mutans. It inhibits S. mutans adhesion to tooth surfaces, reduces the production of sticky substances, and alters the bacteria's morphology. Consequently, this leads to improvements in plaque index, gingival index, and DMFT scores.https://rjs.com.ro/articles/2024.3/RJS_2024_3_Art-13.pdfxylitolstreptococcus mutanscariogenicdental carieschewing gum
spellingShingle Antonio Tunes
Impact of Xylitol chewing gum on levels of oral Streptococcus mutans. A systematic review
Romanian Journal of Stomatology
xylitol
streptococcus mutans
cariogenic
dental caries
chewing gum
title Impact of Xylitol chewing gum on levels of oral Streptococcus mutans. A systematic review
title_full Impact of Xylitol chewing gum on levels of oral Streptococcus mutans. A systematic review
title_fullStr Impact of Xylitol chewing gum on levels of oral Streptococcus mutans. A systematic review
title_full_unstemmed Impact of Xylitol chewing gum on levels of oral Streptococcus mutans. A systematic review
title_short Impact of Xylitol chewing gum on levels of oral Streptococcus mutans. A systematic review
title_sort impact of xylitol chewing gum on levels of oral streptococcus mutans a systematic review
topic xylitol
streptococcus mutans
cariogenic
dental caries
chewing gum
url https://rjs.com.ro/articles/2024.3/RJS_2024_3_Art-13.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT antoniotunes impactofxylitolchewinggumonlevelsoforalstreptococcusmutansasystematicreview