IADR Abstract Archives
Sugar alcohols as sweeteners - one way to prevent dental caries
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of sugar alcohols on caries prevention.
Methods: The effect of different sugar alcohols (erythritol, xylitol, and sorbitol as a positive control) on the development of dental caries in the mixed dentition was observed and compared among 475 elementary school pupils (from 10% of all municipal schools in this area), randomly allocated into three intervention groups. The mean age of the pupils was 8.3 years (SD=0.38). The daily dose of 7.5 g sugar alcohols in the form of lozenges was administered three times during all school days (approximately 200 days in a year). This 3-year prospective, randomized, double-blind, clinical intervention study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the University of Tartu (166/T-7) and was registered on NIH (NCT01062633).
Results: Only few new dentine caries lesions developed in all groups during the intervention. After the first year of the intervention, caries experience (DMFT) decreased in all groups. After the second year it further decreased in the erythritol group. The differences between the groups were, however, not statistically significant. Caries experience (dmft) also decreased in the primary teeth; the biggest decline was found in the erythritol group. This difference was statistically significant compared to the sorbitol and the xylitol groups after the first and the second year of the intervention.
Conclusions: The number of new dentine caries lesions in the mixed dentition was low in all groups throughout the study. Erythritol had a statistically significant effect on caries reduction in primary teeth.
Methods: The effect of different sugar alcohols (erythritol, xylitol, and sorbitol as a positive control) on the development of dental caries in the mixed dentition was observed and compared among 475 elementary school pupils (from 10% of all municipal schools in this area), randomly allocated into three intervention groups. The mean age of the pupils was 8.3 years (SD=0.38). The daily dose of 7.5 g sugar alcohols in the form of lozenges was administered three times during all school days (approximately 200 days in a year). This 3-year prospective, randomized, double-blind, clinical intervention study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the University of Tartu (166/T-7) and was registered on NIH (NCT01062633).
Results: Only few new dentine caries lesions developed in all groups during the intervention. After the first year of the intervention, caries experience (DMFT) decreased in all groups. After the second year it further decreased in the erythritol group. The differences between the groups were, however, not statistically significant. Caries experience (dmft) also decreased in the primary teeth; the biggest decline was found in the erythritol group. This difference was statistically significant compared to the sorbitol and the xylitol groups after the first and the second year of the intervention.
Conclusions: The number of new dentine caries lesions in the mixed dentition was low in all groups throughout the study. Erythritol had a statistically significant effect on caries reduction in primary teeth.