[Groxx]

>Q: How often should I use Xylitol?

A: 6.5 grams of Xylitol each day has been shown to eliminate harmful bacteria in about 5 weeks. ...

And what other bacteria does it kill off? Since they're recommending it in pill form, it seems highly unlikely it's just affecting "bad" mouth bacteria.

[FootballMuse]

Xylitol pills? I'm pretty sure it recommends diluted crystals + gum/mints.

[Groxx]

Ah, true - they're just pill-looking. My mistake, thanks! I don't see 'diluted crystals' anywhere (the pre-brush rinse maybe?), but you are correct on gum / mints, so it's at least a lot more focused.

Still - "consuming x grams" != "keep a ratio of X in mouth at least Y minutes per day". If consumption is what matters, how does it work?

[FootballMuse]

sorry, disolved is a better word. i.e. Xylitol sugar crystals disolved water

[drharris]

> And what other bacteria does it kill off?

I don't think it's that Xylitol kills off bacteria, just that it makes it more inhospitable. To be fair, it should still be cause for worry; while some bacteria do cause acid production that can lead to tooth decay, other bacteria are part of our immune system. There is little reason to suspect that a mouth inhospitable to bad bacteria would still allow the good bacteria to thrive.

[Groxx]

It just reeks of "bacteria BAD, <x> GOOD" mentality. Like giving everyone broad-spectrum antibacterials for minor diseases without realizing that it slaughters the bacteria in your gut, which you generally need to be healthy. Or the claims that magnets or cell phones or ionized water will only kill good / bad bacteria, leaving you infested / healthy, 100% guaranteed*!

The suggestions are interesting, and I might look into them more carefully, but it has seriously tripped my they're-using-overly-religious-reasoning alarm.

[ricardobeat]

There is a study somewhere where subjects consuming up to 1.5kg of xylitol per month and up to 430g/day, for two years, didn't experience any harmful effects (other than the expected laxation, which subsides with time).

edit: here it is http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/783060

[pinko]

This is an excellent question, and is the only reason why I haven't yet started using Xylitol.