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Xylitol syrup found to curb childhood tooth decay
Squirting the sugar substitute xylitol on infants' teeth could help prevent the tooth decay that afflicts an estimated 28% of U.S. children ages 2 to 5, according to a new study.
Severe tooth decay occurs when bacteria such as Streptococcus mutans proliferate in the mouth and attack enamel. Largely preventable, it strikes poor children twice as often as wealthier ones. The problem is compounded because decay is more likely to go untreated in poorer communities.
Native American, Alaska Native, and indigenous Hawaiian and Pacific Island children are hit the hardest, due to diets high in sugar, inadequate access to fluoride in water and toothpaste, and subpar dental care.
The study, by researchers of the University of Washington in Seattle, was conducted in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, where early childhood tooth decay occurs at double or triple the rate of the average U.S. mainland community. Just over half of Marshall Islands 2-year-olds have at least one decayed tooth.