Xylitol-Containing Chewing Gum Reduces Cariogenic and Periodontopathic Bacteria in Dental Plaque-Microbiome Investigation

Yi-Fan Wu; Eisner Salamanca; I-Wen Chen; Jo-Ning Su; Yu-Che Chen; Sin Yu Wang; Ying-Sui Sun; Nai-Chia Teng; Wei-Jen Chang

doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.882636

Xylitol-Containing Chewing Gum Reduces Cariogenic and Periodontopathic Bacteria in Dental Plaque-Microbiome Investigation

Front Nutr. 2022 May 11:9:882636. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.882636. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Yi-Fan Wu¹, Eisner Salamanca¹, I-Wen Chen¹, Jo-Ning Su¹, Yu-Che Chen¹, Sin Yu Wang¹, Ying-Sui Sun², Nai-Chia Teng^{1

3}, Wei-Jen Chang^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ School of Dentistry, College of Oral Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
² School of Dental Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
³ Division of Oral Rehabilitation and Center of Pediatric Dentistry, Department of Dentistry, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁴ Dental Department, Taipei Medical University-Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan.

Abstract

Background: Dental caries and periodontal disease remain the most prevalent oral health problems in the world. Chewing xylitol gum may help reduce the risk of caries and periodontitis for dental health benefits. However, little evidence has shown healthy food estimation by sequencing 16S rDNA in oral microbial communities. This study investigated the clinical effect of xylitol chewing gum on dental plaque accumulation and microbiota composition using the PacBio full-length sequencing platform in 24 young adults (N = 24). The participants were randomly assigned to xylitol chewing gum and control (no chewing gum) groups. Participants in the chewing gum group chewed ten pieces of gum (a total of 6.2 g xylitol/day). Dental plaque from all teeth was collected for weighing, measuring the pH value, and analysis of microbial communities at the beginning (baseline, M0) and end of the 2-week (effect, M1) study period.

Results: The results suggested a 20% reduction in dental plaque accumulation (p < 0.05) among participants chewing xylitol gum for 2 weeks, and the relative abundance of Firmicutes (a type of pathogenic bacteria associated with caries) decreased by 10.26% (p < 0.05) and that of Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria (two types of pathogenic bacteria associated with periodontitis) decreased by 6.32% (p < 0.001) and 1.66% (p < 0.05), respectively. Moreover, the relative abundance of Fusobacteria was increased by 9.24% (p < 0.001), which has been proven to have a higher proportion in dental plaque of healthy adults. However, the dental plaque pH value stayed in a healthy range for the two groups.

Conclusion: In conclusion, chewing xylitol gum would benefit cariogenic and periodontal bacterial reduction in the oral cavity, which could help to prevent the diseases related to these bacteria.

Keywords: 16S rDNA sequencing analysis; dental caries (DMFT); dental plaque; oral health and hygiene; oral microbiota; periodontal health; periodontopathic bacteria; xylitol gum.