Question from Louise Omoto Kessel
Dear Deborah,
Hi! My little boy, age 6, is sensitive to sugar and also very oral, he likes to chew on things (plastic, modeling clay, etc!). I would love to find a chewing gum that I felt comfortable giving him from both sugar and dental points of view. Can you recommend anything?
I found a chewing gum at our local coop that is called BETWEEN! Dental Gum and the package says it’s GOOD for your teeth. It has xilatol, Sorbital, malitol, glycerin, and menthol in it.
I don’t know anything about Sorbital or malitol. What can you tell me?
Love, Louise
Debra’s Answer
Sorbital and malitol are both sugar alcohols, similar to xylitol.
When I was reading your post, before I got to the end I was thinking “gum with xyylitol” so this one seems to be fine.
The only drawback I know to the sugar alcohols is that if you consume too much they can cause diarrhea. So if that occurs, cut back on the gum.
