Hot & Cool Shot® Sugarless Dental Gum

Xylitol containing chewing gum is superior to sorbitol sweetened gum.
Edgar WM. Sugar substitutes, chewing gum and dental caries--a review. Br Dent J. 1998 Jan 10;184(1):29-32.

Some non-sugar sweeteners, such as sorbitol, can be metabolized by oral bacteria, which increases acidic compounds in the mouth and attacks tooth enamel. Maltitol and xylitol are safer to use.
Maguire A, Rugg-Gunn AJ, Wright WG. Adaptation of dental plaque to metabolize maltitol compared with other sweeteners. J Dent. 2000 Jan;28(1):51-9.

Xylitol-containing chewing gum is beneficial for pre-school children.
Twetman S, Stecksen-Blicks C. Effect of xylitol-containing chewing gums on lactic acid production in dental plaque from caries active pre-school children. Oral Health Prev Dent. 2003;1(3):195-9.

It is not only dental caries that chewing gum with xylitol helps, it is also effective in preventing ear infections in children and decreasing the need for antimicrobials.
Matti Uhari, Tero Kontiokari, and Marjo Niemelä. A Novel Use of Xylitol Sugar in Preventing Acute Otitis Media. PEDIATRICS Vol. 102 No. 4 October 1998, pp. 879-884

This study shows that xylitol containing chewing gum offers better bacteria suppression than with sorbitol sweetened chewing gums.
Hildebrandt GH, Sparks BS. Maintaining mutans streptococci suppression with xylitol chewing gum. J Am Dent Assoc. 2000 Jul;131(7):909-16.

If the mother chews xylitol gum the children will have fewer cavities. Both Hot and Cool Shot® Sugarless Gum provide the benifits of xylitol.

Glucosyltransferases (GTFs) are enzymes, made by bacteria, which work with sugars to form glucans (polysaccharides), which make teeth more susceptible to plaque build-up. Researchers at the Chulalongkorn University in Thailand have found that green tea (Camellia sinensis) inhibits GTF activity by up to 40%.
Green tea effect on hydroxyapatite bound glucosyltransferases and plaque deposition E. BENJAVONGKULCHAI, S. TAMSAILOM, T. KANCHANAPOOMI, and N. CHOKPREECHA, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.

Green tea can inhibit Escherichia coli, Streptococcus salivarius and Streptococcus mutans. These are three types of oral bacteria that can cause tooth decay.
Rasheed A, Haider M. Antibacterial activity of Camellia sinensis extracts against dental caries. Arch Pharm Res. 1998 Jun;21(3):348-52.

Orthodontic patients and children who have braces on their teeth can be more susceptible to dental caries. Green tea proved superior to the tea prepared from C. tora in fighting the bacteria that causes enamel decalcification or dental caries.
Effect of Leaf Extract from Camellia sinensis and Seed Extract from Casia tora Extraction on Viability of Mutans Streptococci S.Y. YOO, K.-W. KIM, H.S. SHIN, M.K. KIM, H.-S. KIM, S.-H. LIM, and J.-K. KOOK, Chosun University, Gwang-ju, South Korea.

Tea tree oil has anti-inflammatory and soothing properties when applied to gingivitis infection of the gums.
Soukoulis S, Hirsch R. The effects of a tea tree oil-containing gel on plaque and chronic gingivitis. Aust Dent J. 2004 Jun;49(2):78-83.

The Tea Tree Group from Australia has been responsible for many of the positive studies on tea tree oil. In this study, Dr Kate Hammer has found that a range of oral bacteria, which is responsible for tooth decay, is susceptible to tea tree oil even at a low dilution.
Hammer KA, Dry L, Johnson M, Michalak EM, Carson CF, Riley TV. Susceptibility of oral bacteria to Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) oil in vitro. Oral Microbiol Immunol. 2003 Dec;18(6):389-92.

Various essential oils were tested against oral pathogens. It was found that tea tree oil showed significant adhesion-inhibiting activity against P. gingivalis and was one of the oils to show strong antibacterial activity against periodontopathic and cariogenic bacteria. It was also found to be safe on cells that line the mouth.
Takarada K.; Kimizuka R.; Takahashi N.; Honma K.; Okuda K.; Kato T. A comparison of the antibacterial efficacies of essential oils against oral pathogens. Oral Microbiology and Immunology February 2004, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 61-64(4)

Chlorhexidine is used to reduce oral bacteria, it is available in Hot and Cool Shot® Sugarless Gum and as a mouthwash, and although it has been found that it is not as effective as tea tree oil in killing oral pathogens, as this review of the literature shows it is much more likely to cause a toxic reaction.
Moghadam BK, Drisko CL, Gier RE. Chlorhexidine mouthwash-induced fixed drug eruption. Case report and review of the literature. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol. 1991 Apr;71(4):431-4.

You may contact us with any suggestions or comments about this report.

April 2004