Dental cavities
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- Like other polyols, MALTISORB® maltitol is not fermented by oral bacteria. MALTISORB® maltitol is therefore neither acidogenic nor cariogenic.
Dental plaque, a sticky film of bacteria, constantly forms on teeth after each meal. These micro-organisms feed on sugars, thus fermenting them to produce destructive acids that attack tooth enamel. If the level of acid concentration falls below the pH 5.7 threshold, demineralization of the tooth enamel will occur. This is the first stage of tooth decay. Fermentable sugars are described as acidogenic, and are potentially cariogenic. MALTISORB® maltitol non-cariogenic properties have been demonstrated in:
- clinical studies carried out on maltitol syrups (LYCASIN®), (FROSTELL, 1974), (BIRKHED, 1979), (IMFELD, 1994),
(DUPAS, 1985) (RUGG GUNN, 1989) - in vivo experimental studies on rats (IZUMITANI, 1989), (OOSHIMA, 1992),
- in vivo, using the pH telemetry test (WURSCH, 1982), (IMFELD, 1983), (IMFELD, 1984), (DAVID, 1989). The test is today internationally accepted as a standard procedure for validation of 'safe for the teeth' foods.
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Products made from MALTISORB® maltitol meet the scientific approval criteria allowing use of the international Toothfriendly Association logo, provided the products do not contain other fermentable or acidic products.
- MALTISORB® maltitol showed in vitro bacteriostatic properties: just like xylitol, it may discourage the multiplication of most of the oral micro-organisms responsible for dental cavities. (*)
Roquette carried out some numerations in the presence of various polyols for the strains mostly involved in the cavities phenomenon (Streptococcus mutans, sanguis and Lactobacillus). It appears clearly that maltitol and xylitol may have a bacteriostatic effect on micro-organisms responsible for dental cavities. (*)
- Dental plaque bacteria do not adapt to ferment maltitol.
It was demonstrated in vivo that plaque does not adapt to ferment maltitol or xylitol following frequent exposure over 14 days. Maltitol, just like xylitol, inhibits the growth of dental plaque. It could be worth confirming these results with an epidemiological study.
(MIYAMURA, 1973), (TRAHAN, 1995), (MAGUIRE, 2000)
- MALTISORB® maltitol may not contribute to the enamel demineralization that is the first step of the tooth decay process. (RUNDEGREN, 1980) (*)
How MALTISORB® may contribute to good health
- MALTISORB® maltitol may help reducing the growth of some detrimental, disease-causing bacteria present in the mouth. (*)
Oral health aspects do not exclusively involve tooth decay. In vitro studies highlight the potential bacteriostatic effect of maltitol on pathogens present in the oral cavity that could be involved in diseases such as meningitis or ear infection. Thus St. pneumonia shows in vitro significantly reduced growth in the presence of maltitol (NEUT, 2002), although this has yet to be clinically proven.
- (*) However, the significance of such results still have to be clinically proven.