Cariogenicity of sorbitol

Abstract

Sorbitol is a commonly used sweetener in many so called sugar-free products, like chewing-gums, lozenges and medicines. It is also used as a stabilizer in tooth pastes and is found naturally in some fruits and berries. Many methods have been used to evaluate the cariogenicity of sorbitol, e.g. short and long term studies in man, animal experiments and pH-measurements in dental plaque in vivo and in vitro. Most of these studies indicate that sorbitol has a low or no cariogenicity. However, there are some data showing that frequent consumption of sorbitol may result in an increased acid production in dental plaque and in an increased number of sorbitol-fermenting microorganisms. This adaptation is probably of no or only minor clinical importance, at least for persons with a normal salivary function and for people with a moderate consumption of sorbitol-containing products. Thus, present knowledge shows that sorbitol might be considered as a "low cariogenic" sugar substitute.