Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 15, 2026
Systematic Approach to Identify Novel Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Molecules from Plants' Extracts and Fractions to Prevent Dental Caries
Published on: March 31, 2021
Results from the Xylitol for Adult Caries Trial (X-ACT)
James D Bader1, William M Vollmer, Daniel A Shugars
1School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB#7450, Chapel Hill, N.C. 27599-7450, USA. jim_bader@unc.edu
Background:
Although caries is prevalent in adults, investigators have tested few preventive therapies in adult populations. In a randomized controlled trial, the authors evaluated the effectiveness of xylitol lozenges in preventing caries in adults at elevated risk of developing caries.
Methods:
The Xylitol for Adult Caries Trial (X-ACT) was a three-site placebo-controlled randomized trial. Participants (n = 691) aged 21 through 80 years consumed five 1.0-gram xylitol or placebo lozenges daily for 33 months. They underwent clinical examinations at baseline and at 12, 24 and 33 months.
Results:
Xylitol lozenges reduced the caries increment 10 percent. This reduction, which represented less than one-third of a surface per year, was not statistically significant. There was no indication of a dose-response effect.
Conclusions:
Daily use of xylitol lozenges did not result in a statistically or clinically significant reduction in 33-month caries increment among adults at an elevated risk of developing caries.
Clinical Implications:
These results suggest that xylitol used as a supplement in adults does not reduce their caries experience significantly.
Related Concept Videos
01:16Clinical Trials
There are four phases in a clinical trial. A phase one...
01:15Teeth
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin and...
00:58The X̄ Chart
The x̄ chart, often known as the individual control chart, is a crucial tool in statistical process control. It is designed to monitor process behavior and performance over time and is widely used in various industries to ensure that processes are operating at their optimum capacity and within specified limits.
A x̄ chart is constructed by plotting individual measurements of a quality characteristic in the order in which...