Six-month polyol chewing-gum programme in kindergarten-age children: a feasibility study focusing on mutans streptococci and dental plaque.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Controlled clinical trial with three parallel arms; abstract does not specify randomization.
PubMed 15880962 · doi:10.1111/j.1875-595x.2005.tb00038.x
What was done
A 6-month controlled trial evaluated 123 five-year-old kindergarten children across three groups: xylitol gum (X group, 4.5–5.0 g/day), sorbitol gum (G group, 4.5–5.0 g/day), or a no-gum control (C group). Gum chewing occurred across five daily supervised sessions (four at day-care centres, one at home). Interproximal plaque was collected at baseline and at 6 months to assess mutans streptococci counts, dental plaque was scored using the Quigley & Hein plaque index, and programme acceptability was assessed via questionnaires and interviews.
What was found
The abstract reports no raw numbers, baseline-to-endpoint changes, or exact p-values. It reports a statistically significant reduction in interproximal plaque mutans streptococci counts in the xylitol group compared with both the sorbitol and control groups. Plaque index scores showed a decreasing trend in the xylitol group, with no such trend in the sorbitol group. Staff, parents, and children reported high acceptability.
Why it matters
It demonstrates that a supervised chewing-gum protocol is feasible in a kindergarten setting and indicates that xylitol specifically, rather than sorbitol, suppresses mutans streptococci.
Limits
The abstract provides no quantitative data, effect sizes, confidence intervals, or exact significance values. Randomization, allocation concealment, and blinding are not described. Caries incidence was not evaluated, relying only on surrogate microbiological and plaque endpoints.
Cited by
- supports In Nordic countries such as Finland, preschools routinely distribute xylitol chewing gum to children after lunch and before going home.