If Mom Chews Gum, Children Have Healthier Mouths

June 26, 2001 By Nancy Volkers InteliHealth News Service Researchers in Finland reported six-year results of a study that tested whether mothers who chew gum sweetened with xylitol are less likely to transmit cavity-causing bacteria to their children. The study originally enrolled 195 pregnant women whose mouths had high levels of Streptococcus mutans, known to be a major cause of tooth decay. The women were divided into three groups: The xylitol group began chewing xylitol-sweetened gum three months after giving birth and continued for 21 months, until their children were 2 years old. Xylitol is a natural sweetener. The fluoride group received fluoride varnish treatments at 6, 12 and 18 months after giving birth. The chlorhexidine group received a chlorhexidine varnish (an antiseptic) at 6, 12 and 18 months after giving birth. Six years after the women gave birth -- several years after the treatments stopped -- their children were tested for the presence of the cavity-causing bacteria. Children whose mothers chewed xylitol gum had significantly lower levels of these bacteria in their mouths than did children in the other two groups. S. mutans generally is passed from mothers to children when they are between 6 and 31 months old. Higher levels of bacteria in a child's mouth increase the risk of tooth decay. The results were published in the May-June issue of Caries Research. Research published last year from the same study found that at 5 years of age, the children whose mothers had chewed xylitol gum had 70 percent less dental decay, compared with children whose mothers received the varnish treatments. Xylitol has received a lot of attention in recent years as studies have shown that chewing xylitol-sweetened gum can slow the buildup of plaque on the teeth and inhibit the formation of cavities. Other sweeteners don't have the same effect.

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