What is xylitol? Xylitol is a sweet, white substance that looks and tastes like sugar (sucrose). It contains 40% fewer calories than sugar and is diabetic friendly. It is organic, found in the fibers of a variety of fruits and vegetables like corn, berries, and mushrooms, the wood of trees, most notably the birch tree. It is also produced naturally in small amounts by the human body.

What does xylitol do?
Xylitol has a beneficial effect on the bacterial flora found in the mouth, nose, and throat. It rids the mouth of sticky harmful bacteria and promotes the growth of tooth-protective, non-acidic bacteria.

Xylitol also raises the mouth pH and encourages mineral-rich saliva to flow into the mouth, which can protect teeth and help softened areas repair and remineralize. Harmful plaque bacteria produce sticky threads (like spider-web strings) that allow them to adhere to the tooth surface and to each other, forming thick plaque layers. These plaque bacteria use sucrose and carbohydrates from the diet as an energy source to grow and multiply. As plaque bacteria multiply they produce acids that damage teeth.

When plaque bacteria absorb xylitol, they are unable to process it, so they cannot multiply, produce acids, or stick to teeth. In this way less plaque is formed on teeth, and eventually plaque bacteria may be undetectable in the mouth. 

Xylitol brings minerals to teeth that are used to rebuild and repair the deep layers of enamel in a process called remineralization. 

How does xylitol work?
Xylitol has a beneficial effect on the bacterial flora found in the mouth, nose, and throat. It rids the mouth of sticky harmful bacteria and promotes the growth of tooth-protective, non-acidic bacteria.

A bacteria cell has an outer layer called protoplasm. The inner portion of the cell is the cytoplasm – which surrounds the cell nucleus.

When products containing sugar or carbohydrates are consumed, sugar will dissolve in saliva and be absorbed by bacteria in plaque on teeth. The sugar is absorbed into the outer protoplasm layer first and is then transported into the cytoplasm. The sugars are then able to provide the bacteria cell with energy to reproduce and multiply.

When xylitol is eaten, it is readily absorbed by plaque bacteria, where it travels into the cell protoplasm. The difference is that the cell lacks the mechanism to move the xylitol into the cytoplasm, so it cannot provide energy for the cell to multiply and reproduce. Furthermore the cell tries to expel the xylitol out of the protoplasm, and expends energy trying to push the xylitol away and out of the cell. Because the bacteria cell uses its energy to expel the xylitol, it is less able to stick to teeth and is therefore more easily removed by tooth cleaning. The xylitol has also interfered with acid production by the cell and prevented reproduction. This process of using energy to no purpose is called a futile cycle.

Numbers of toxic, cavity forming plaque bacteria reduce each time they are in contact with xylitol. As harmful bacteria are cleaned away, new xylitol-resistant bacteria take their place. These new bacteria do not produce acids, do not damage teeth and do not form sticky layers of plaque. These bacteria appear to form a protective coating over teeth – fighting off intruding bacteria and protecting enamel from things that may harm teeth.

Xylitol is a small 5 carbon alcohol and has completely different chemistry from other similar-sounding sweeteners commonly found in commercial products. Most sugarless sweeteners have large 6 carbon molecules, making them too big to penetrate the protoplasm of a bacteria cell. These sugarless sweeteners do not feed bacteria cells in the way that sugars do, but they don’t kill the cell like xylitol.

Bacteria learn to process sorbitol, commonly found in commercial sugarless gum and candy, after about three exposures.  Harmful bacteria cells are able to set up pathways that allow sorbitol to transport into the cytoplasm and provide energy to the cell. Plaque bacteria use this energy from sorbitol to grow and multiply. This can lead to thicker plaque and may give rise to acid reflux conditions in the throat and stomach.

The benefits of xylitol
Continuous use of xylitol creates a desirable environment for healthy mouth bacteria and an undesirable environment for unhealthy plaque bacteria.  After 5 weeks of eating at least 6 grams of xylitol each day, sticky plaque bacteria will no longer be found on teeth. After 6 months of continuous xylitol use, these bacteria will be undetectable in saliva, on teeth and on the tongue.