Sugar substitutes on caries prevention in permanent teeth among children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives: This study aimed to systematically review the effect of sugar substitute consumption on caries prevention in permanent teeth among children and adolescents.

Data: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled clinical trials (CCTs) comparing the clinical effect of sugar substitutes (both high- and low-intensity sweeteners) in preventing caries in permanent teeth among children and adolescents aged 6-19 were included.

Sources: A systematic search was conducted in three databases (PubMed, Web of Science and Embase) without any restrictions on publication year.

Study selection: The initial search found 1,859 items, and finally, 15 studies (11 RCTs and 4 CCTs) with a total of 6325 participants (age: 6-18 years) were included. The Cochrane risk-of-bias assessment tools were used for quality assessment. Most (80%, 12/15) were graded as having a 'moderate' or 'high' risk of bias. All trials investigated sugar alcohol, which is a low-intensity sweetener. Xylitol was the most commonly investigated (73.3%, 11/15), followed by sorbitol (46.7%, 7/15), and erythritol (13.3%, 2/15). Results of the meta-analysis showed that both xylitol (standardized mean difference [SMD]: -0.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.85 to -0.16, P = 0.005) and sorbitol (SMD: -0.10, 95% CI: -0.19 to -0.01, P = 0.03) had a significant effect in preventing dental caries compared to no treatment/placebo. No clinical trials on high-intensity sweeteners such as aspartame and saccharin were found.

Conclusion: The consumption of xylitol or sorbitol is potentially effective in preventing caries in permanent teeth among children and adolescents. No clinical evidence is available regarding the role of high-intensity sweeteners in caries prevention.

Clinical significance: The use of xylitol or sorbitol as sugar substitutes has a beneficial effect in preventing dental caries among children and adolescents.