Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I'm actually a Dental student. I started myself on Xylitol when I learned of the advantages during dental school. Xylitol is a natural sugar that is not fermentable by bacteria. What that means is that it does NOT promote caries (dental decay) and in fact, multiple studies show Xylitol to reduce bacterial levels. Research is being done to figure out what gives Xylitol it's seemingly bactericidal effect, but for now, studies indicate that it's effective at reducing oral bacterial load by 30-60% (YES THAT IS AN ENORMOUS PERCENT). Current studies are inconclusive in regards to any beneficial periodontal effect with respect to disease. However there is evidence of Xylitol promoting nasopharyngeal health. The user must have at least 6g of Xylitol dissolved in the mouth each day across multiple instances. That equates to 4 of these mints after each of your daily 3 meals. The Spry gums have 50% more Xylitol content so, 6-8gums/day, chew for 5 min or until no longer sweet. Note that this sugar is not used as a regular sweetener because having more than 20g/day may lead to diarrhea depending on your size/weight. Children should also have a reduced maximum load (they make Xylitol juices). Keep to ~6g/day max for children ages 3-10 to be safe (un-supported assumption). The berry flavor is just outstanding. I could replace popcorn during a movie with these (although not such a good idea to have either during an extended period). I've tried the lemon burst flavor too and it's not good. I could argue that the lemon burst flavor isn't even tolerable let alone good, and tastes rather acidic which would be bad for teeth... Other things to note: This is not a sugar like Stevia or some other cariostatic sugar. Stevia and sugars like it are good for diabetics and people with high caries risk because it's a natural sweetener that is not metabolized by the body and it's cariostatic effects. Cariostatic sugars do not kill bacteria. Xylitol actually reduces the presence of bacteria (bactericidal). If you have any questions, feel free to contact me: BForooghi@gmail.com UPDATE: It's been many years now. I'm still using Xylitol products personally and strongly recommending it to my patients to help treat a host of issues from cavities to sleep apnea and sinus/ear infections. It's really almost like a miracle when I snort the spray... Anyways, here's a recent response from a nameless poster which I feel was a good addition to the review: Xylitol is showing promise with ear and respiratory infections as well: Since xylitol inhibits the growth of bacteria, "research shows that this effect enables xylitol to help prevent bacteria and irritants from adhering to upper respiratory passages when used as a nasal wash. Studies have also shown that 8 grams of xylitol, taken orally every day, prevented about 40% of ear infections." For households that have pets, note that xylitol should always be kept away from all pets, as "it can be deadly to dogs and should not be fed to any pets". xylitol.org/faqs-questions-about-xylitol