Xylitol (low-intensity sweetener/sugar alcohol) in food products (chewing gum, milk, candy, or tablets) vs no intervention: Change in Mutans streptococci (MS) count in dental plaque
Xylitol significantly reduced Mutans streptococci in dental plaque compared with no treatment (SMD -0.73, 95% CI -1.09 to -0.37; 5 trials, I2=53%; not GRADE-rated).
What each review found
Current versions only| Finding | Effect | Studies | GRADE certainty |
|---|---|---|---|
Xylitol (low-intensity sweetener/sugar alcohol) in food products (chewing gum, milk, candy, or tablets) vs No treatment (no gum / no intervention) Change in Mutans streptococci (MS) count in dental plaque · Generally healthy individuals across all age groups (infants to elderly) · Post-consumption endpoint (trial durations 2 wk to 6 mo), All age groups, generally healthy; multiple countries; sugar substitutes delivered as chewing gum, milk, candy, or tablets, Xylitol gum vs no treatment (5 studies, mixed ages) Xylitol significantly reduced Mutans streptococci in dental plaque compared with no treatment (SMD -0.73, 95% CI -1.09 to -0.37; 5 trials, I2=53%; not GRADE-rated). Clinical Effects of Sugar Substitutes on Cariogenic Bacteria: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. (2024) All outcomes | SMD -0.73 [-1.09, -0.37] | 5 studies · 308 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.
- Long-Term Effect of Xylitol Gum Use on Mutans Streptococci in Adults · 2007 · included by 1 of these review
- The effect of xylitol chewing gum on mutans streptococci in saliva and dental plaque. · 2004 · included by 1 of these review
- Wang 2006 · included by 1 of these review
- Wang et al. 2014 · 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.