Doubts raised over efficacy of xylitol in prevention
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- Published: Thursday, 16 April 2015 07:47
- Written by News Editor
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A new Cochrane review by researchers at the University of Manchester found low-quality evidence that fluoride toothpaste containing the natural sweetener xylitol prevents tooth decay. Lead author Philip Riley said: "The evidence we identified did not allow us to make any robust conclusions about the effects of xylitol, and we were unable to prove any benefit in the natural sweetener for preventing tooth decay."
The researchers searched for randomized controlled trials that assessed the effect of xylitol products on dental cavities in children and adults. Their search yielded 10 studies involving a total of nearly 6,000 participants. They were only able to carry out a full meta-analysis on two of the studies that looked at the effect of toothpaste containing xylitol on the teeth of just over 4,200 children in Costa Rica. Both studies had been carried out by the same team of researchers.
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