Approximal Caries Development during 2-Year Total Substitution of Dietary Sucrose with Xylitol

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Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to quantify changes in the size of approximal carious lesions in order to find out the effect of sucrose or xylitol consumption on the rate of caries progression. The projections of approximal lesions on bite-wing radiographs were analyzed planimetrically. Evaluation of the data showed a highly significant increase of approximal lesion size in the sucrose group; in the xylitol group lesion sizes remained unchanged. The corresponding difference in lesion size between the xylitol and sucrose groups after the 2-year study period was highly significant (p < 0.001). It is concluded that sucrose consumption ad libitum enhances the further progress of carious lesions, whereas xylitol consumption favors the arrest and decrease of the lesions.