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Does the presence of xylitol in a sorbitol‐containing chewing gum affect the adaptation to sorbitol by dental plaque?
Author(s) -
Assev Synnøve,
Rölla Gunnar
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
european journal of oral sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.802
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1600-0722
pISSN - 0909-8836
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0722.1994.tb01469.x
Subject(s) - xylitol , sorbitol , dental plaque , chemistry , chewing gum , polyol , food science , dentistry , biochemistry , medicine , fermentation , organic chemistry , polyurethane
It is known that xylitol inhibits sorbitol metabolism in some bacteria in vitro. The effect of xylitol/sorbitol‐containing chewing gum on sorbitol adaptation of dental plaque was therefore examined. Ten subjects used this chewing gum for 12 wk, and plaque was collected before (control plaque) and after (test plaque) the exposure to sorbitol/xylitol. The metabolism of sorbitol by the plaque was examined with l4 C‐labeled sorbitol, and the radioactive metabolites were detected by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A considerable individual variation in acid formation was found. The mean values of total acids in the test plaque increased, as compared with the control plaque. An adaptation of dental plaque to sorbitol thus occurred in spite of the presence of xylitol in the chewing gum. The concentration of acetic acid predominated over other acids in both the control and test plaques. The proportions of acids expressed in percentage of total acids differed only slightly. Thus, long‐term use of xylitol/sorbitol‐containing chewing gum did not eliminate the adaptation of dental plaque to sorbitol.