Xylitol (low-intensity sweetener/sugar alcohol) in food products (chewing gum, milk, candy, or tablets) vs Sorbitol (low-intensity sweetener): Change in Mutans streptococci (MS) count in dental plaque
Xylitol reduced Mutans streptococci in dental plaque more than sorbitol (SMD -0.45, 95% CI -0.69 to -0.21; 4 trials, I2=7%); not GRADE-rated.
What each review found
Include earlier review versions| Finding | Effect | Studies | GRADE certainty |
|---|---|---|---|
Xylitol (low-intensity sweetener/sugar alcohol) in food products (chewing gum, milk, candy, or tablets) vs Sorbitol (low-intensity sweetener) Change in Mutans streptococci (MS) count in dental plaque · Generally healthy individuals across all age groups (infants to elderly) · Post-consumption endpoint (varied durations across trials), All age groups, generally healthy; multiple countries; sugar substitutes delivered as chewing gum, milk, candy, or tablets, Xylitol vs sorbitol (4 studies) Xylitol reduced Mutans streptococci in dental plaque more than sorbitol (SMD -0.45, 95% CI -0.69 to -0.21; 4 trials, I2=7%); not GRADE-rated. Clinical Effects of Sugar Substitutes on Cariogenic Bacteria: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. (2024) All outcomes | SMD -0.45 [-0.69, -0.21] | 4 studies · 323 participants | GRADE not reported |
Findings are shown side by side, never pooled across reviews.
The reviews
| Review | Searched up to | Included studies | AMSTAR 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical Effects of Sugar Substitutes on Cariogenic Bacteria: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. 2024 All outcomes | 7 July 2023 (databases searched from inception to); 22 September 2023 noted in Discussion | 49 | Critically Low / Critically Low |
Studies behind the findings
The primary studies the full-text reviews tie to this outcome. Reviews with headline outcomes only do not list them here.
- Milk Sweetened with Xylitol: A Proof-of-Principle Caries Prevention Randomized Clinical Trial. · 2016 · included by 1 of these review
- Mutans streptococci dose response to xylitol chewing gum. · 2006 · included by 1 of these review
- Effect of polyol gums on dental plaque in orthodontic patients · 1995 · included by 1 of these review
How reviews are matched to this question
Reviews word the same question differently. Four decision models (TypeSafe's Jev, Liquid AI's d1-ultra, SubQ Snap and Baseten's Elephant) judged each wording of the population, intervention, comparator and outcome against the others; two wordings count as the same when at least three of them agree and none clearly disagrees, and findings count as this question only when all four elements match. Timing, setting and subgroup never split a question: they are shown on each finding.