INFLUENCE OF XYLITOL IN DENTIFRICE ON SALIVARY MICROFLORA OF PRESCHOOL-CHILDREN AT CARIES RISK

The aim was to study whether the use of a xylitol-containing dentifric e could affect the number of mutans streptococci and lactobacilli in p reschool children with medium and high initial salivary counts. After screening 147 healthy preschool children, 3-6 years of age, 70 were se lected and randomly assigned into two groups for 3-month's use of eith er a xylitol (9.7%) or a non-xylitol-containing fluoride dentifrice. T he parents were trained to brush the teeth of their children twice dai ly in a standardized manner and the study was carried out double blind . Bacterial levels at screening and after 3 months were enumerated wit h aid of chair-side methods. No significant differences in mutans stre ptococci levels or lactobacilli counts after 3 months were obtained, e ither in comparison to baseline or between the groups. About 50% of al l children exhibited unchanged bacterial scores at the end of the test period but more children in the xylitol group disclosed reduced score s of salivary mutans streptococci compared with the non-xylitol group (38% vs 16%). The results suggest that the dose level achieved by usin g this xylitol-containing dentifrice in preschool children, did not pr ovide sufficient antibacterial action to suppress caries associated mi croorganisms in the saliva of those with high initial counts.