Xylitol: Fact and Fiction



Xylitol is a naturally occurring sweet substance found in many fruits and vegetables. "Extracted, it is used in multiple ways, including medicine, gum and sweetener, says Dr. Cameron Fuller from his Redlands pediatric dental practice.  It can be found at most stores and in a variety of products. Here's what you should know about xylitol.

Fact: Xylitol does not convert to sugar. This means it can help decrease tooth decay.

Fiction: Xylitol cannot be over-used. Any product, including xylitol, is not good if it is over-used. However, in small doses it can be very beneficial.

Fact: Xylitol is bad for dogs. Research has found it is extremely toxic to dogs and can cause a multitude of problems including liver failure and seizures. If you have this product in your home, make sure to keep it away from dogs.

Fiction: Xylitol causes diarrhea in young children. While your child may experience a lose stool when they first begin using it, they should be fine when only small amounts are given and if Xylitol is used on a regular basis.

Fact: Xylitol is a natural sweetener. Our children may ingest multitudes of sugary or sweetened treats, however this is a natural sugar that has been determined to be healthier for children than regular sugar.

“No matter what substance is ingested by our children in their daily lives, we should use caution,” suggests Dr. Fuller. "Xylitol, researched since 2009, has been found to have several healthy benefits. Use it in low doses and start your child off to a healthy dental start."

Comments

  1. UnknownMay 9, 2014 at 2:39 PM

    Thanks for clarifying this. Basically to sum it up, I agree to use it in low doses for the most healthy effects. Thank you.

    Ansel Marvin | Kids Dental Tree

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownMay 18, 2014 at 7:51 PM

      Yes, there is a healthy dose of everything.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Thank you for taking the time to comment. Your comment will be approved after it has been read by one of our staff.

Popular posts from this blog

What is a dental abscess?

Image
One of the most common conditions affecting children's teeth are dental abscesses.  Children with severe cavities often have teeth that abscess.  Abscess of lower left primary tooth.  NOTE the tissue swelling on the tooth. Radiograph of abscess on middle tooth.  Note the dark outline of the short root. Dental abscesses often start out as large cavities on the teeth. Once the cavity invades the pulp of the tooth the infection spreads to the bone. At that point the tooth is no longer salvageable. A dental abscess is a swelling of the tissue around an infected tooth. The following symptoms may result from a dental abscess.  Children can often present with facial swelling, fever,  altered eating habits, poor concentration, poor sleep patterns, breathing problems, and general malaise. The treatment that is always recommended is antibiotics and extraction. 
Read more

A gap between the teeth

Image
When your baby’s teeth first begin to come in and you notice that gap between their teeth when they smile, the family may coo that it’s cute. "However, it is very important that if your child has a gap in their teeth due to a maxillary frenum, or another reason, that it be corrected," says pediatric dentist Dr. Cameron Fuller. Your child’s education, speech and self-confidence is dependent upon it being corrected at an early age.             As your child gets older they are working on saying certain sounds. Children who are younger than five should be developing the ability to say all of the sounds. After five if these sounds are not solidified it will make it much more difficult for them to learn to correctly speak. “And by age seven if the sounds are not correct they run the risk of never being able to say them correctly,” says Dr. Cameron Fuller . By age five and six your child should be able to say their S’s and R’s correctly which are some of
Read more

Baby teeth: What you should know.

The importance of oral health for a child is paramount.  So many aspects of a child's development depend on a healthy oral environment. At pediatric dentistry of Redlands we specialize in children's oral health, especially prevention. Here is a quick read from CNN on " Baby's teeth: What you should Know ."  
Read more