Efficacy of xylitol and fluoride mouthrinses on salivary mutans streptococci

Objective: To evaluate the level of salivary Mutans streptococci (MS) after rinsing with xylitol, fluoride, and a combination of xylitol and fluoride solutions, compared with distilled water. Methods: Eighty healthy 8-9 years old subjects with high level of MS (> 10⁵ CFU/mL) were equally divided into 4 groups. Subjects rinsed their mouths for 1 min with 10 mL of 0.05% (w/v) sodium fluoride (NaF), 12.5% (w/v) xylitol or 0.05% (w/v) NaF + 12.5% (w/v) xylitol 3 times daily over 10 weeks. Distilled water rinsed group served as a control. Paraffin-stimulated whole saliva samples were collected at baseline, 5 weeks, and 10 weeks after rinsing to determine the level of salivary MS by culturing on Mitis Salivarius Bacitracin agar. The statistical significance was calculated by Kruskal Wallis, Mann Whitney U, and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests at a significant level of P < 0.05. Results: Significant reductions in MS count were observed in subjects using 0.05% NaF + 12.5% xylitol over other groups within 5 weeks and after 10 weeks and 12.5% xylitol alone after 10 weeks compared with baseline. Conclusions: The present study provides evidence for the inhibitory effect of xylitol, used in combination with fluoride, delivered in the form of mouthrinse, on salivary MS in the group of schoolchildren.