Xylitol products and tooth decay in children and adults
What it found
A fluoride toothpaste with 10% xylitol may reduce tooth decay by 13% compared to fluoride alone in children over 2.5 to 3 years.
Evidence for other xylitol products was too weak to show a clear benefit.
What they found
Studies in people
Fluoride toothpaste with xylitol
In 4216 children, a fluoride toothpaste containing 10% xylitol reduced tooth decay by 13% compared to fluoride-only toothpaste. This was measured over 2.5 to 3 years of use.
Xylitol syrup in infants
One study of 94 infants found that 8 g of xylitol syrup per day reduced decay by 58% compared to a lower dose of 2.67 g per day. The infants took the syrup for 1 year.
Other xylitol products
For xylitol lozenges, sucking tablets, regular tablets and wipes, results were uncertain. The numbers could point to either less or more tooth decay.
Xylitol lozenges in adults
Only one study looked at adults using xylitol lozenges. The results were uncertain and could point to either less or more tooth decay.
Side effects reported
Four studies reported no side effects, and two found similar rates in both groups. Mentioned side effects included mouth sores, cramps, bloating, constipation, wind and loose stools or diarrhoea.
What the authors conclude
- They found some low-quality evidence that fluoride toothpaste with xylitol may work better than fluoride alone for preventing tooth decay in children's permanent teeth.
- They advise reading this result carefully because of bias risks and because both supporting studies came from the same research team and population.
- They say there is not enough evidence to tell if other xylitol products prevent decay in infants, older children or adults.
How it was done
Tooth decay is a very common long-term problem that affects most people. Scientists have suggested xylitol might help prevent it, but the evidence was unclear.
They gathered randomised trials testing xylitol products against tooth decay in children and adults. They found 10 studies involving 5903 participants. The studies lasted from 1 year up to 3 years.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- Most of the studies had a high risk of bias, meaning their methods may have skewed the results.
- A single trial cannot prove what will happen for everyone.
- The findings on toothpaste come from just two studies done by the same team in the same group of people.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- There are no financial conflicts of interest and the review authors declare that they do not have any associations with any parties who may have vested interests in the results of this review.
- Authors work at
- The University of Manchester, M PL
The paper
- Title
- Xylitol-containing products for preventing dental caries in children and adults
- Type
- Systematic review and meta-analysisThe authors follow a set, published method to find every relevant study, then combine the numbers from them into one result.
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Riley P, Moore D, Ahmed F, Sharif MO, Worthington HV (2015). Xylitol-containing products for preventing dental caries in children and adults. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD010743.pub2Free full textPubMed 25809586DOI
Summary written 1 Oct 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error