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Is The Sweetener Xylitol Safe for My child?

You may have seen the ingredient Xylitol in sugarless gum, candy, or other foods your child likes to eat. It is even an ingredient in some toothpastes and mouthwashes. How much do you know about it?  Are artificial sweeteners safe for my child? Are Artificial Sweeteners Safe for My Child? What About Xylitol?

Xylitol is a polyalcohol (or sugar alcohol), which adds sweetness to many foods.  It is often recommended by Pediatric Dentists for those patients who experience a high rate of dental decay.  There are a number of studies which show it to be safe when used in moderation.

Some Xylitol facts:

  • Xylitol is a ‘sugar alcohol’ which has the same sweetness as Sucrose with 1/3 less calories.
  • It is naturally found in the fiber of many fruits and vegetables
  • Most of the commercially used Xylitol is extracted from corn cobs
  • It has a low glycemic index, making it desirable for those who are avoiding sugar, such as Diabetics.
  • Xylitol is non-fermentable, which means that the bacteria that causes cavities actually starves when exposed to it.
  • It is antimicrobial – and inhibits plaque formation
  • It inhibits enamel demineralization
  • Chewing xylitol gum has actually been shown to reduce the incidence of infections of the Eustachian tube of the ear.
  • Streptococcus Mutans (the bacteria that causes cavities) is reduced immediately by the use of Xylitol chewing gum.
  • Studies show that a parent chewing gum with Xylitol may significantly reduce the transmission of Streptococcus Mutans to a child (for more information on this bacteria, see https://www.caringtreechildrensdentistry.com/spit-out-that-pacifier/) Further, the effects may be lasting; a mother chewing Xylitol gum for two years may reduce the bacteria for up to 5 years.
  • Because Xylitol needs to stay in contact with the teeth to be effective, the best choices are gum and candies.Are Artificial Sweeteners Safe for My Child? What About Xylitol?

Where can you find Xylitol?

Xylitol is found in gum, candy, toothpaste, and can also be purchased in bulk as a sweetener.  Most grocery stores stock some items containing Xylitol.  Health food stores can have a more varied selection, as well as stocking it in bulk. If you can’t find what you are looking for at those locations, there are many options online.  Some well-known brand names are Dr. John’s Candies, Nature’s Hollow (many products including muffin mixes, sugar-free honey and syrup) Spry gum, and Orbit sugar-free gum are just a few. If you purchase Xylitol in bulk and plan to use it in baking, be sure you consult a recipe specifically designed for its use.  It tends to absorb more moisture than sugar, which could leave your cakes and cookies as dry as sawdust.  Yeast cannot metabolize Xylitol, so it will not work in yeast breads.

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry weighs in:

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recognizes the benefit of supervised, moderate use of Xylitol in children who are at high risk of developing cavities. They are recommending labeling requirements that clearly show the Xylitol content so Pediatric Dentists can ensure both safe and therapeutic levels for their patients.  They further hope to develop protocols regarding the use of Xylitol to determine optimal dosages and help improve the oral health of children.

For an in-depth look at the AAPD policy on Xylitol, read here: http://www.aapd.org/media/Policies_Guidelines/P_Xylitol.pdf

A few cautions:

  • Xylitol is extremely toxic to dogs.  If you have pets in the house, make sure any products containing Xylitol are kept away from them.  Caution children not to share any sweets containing Xylitol with pets.
  • In large quantities, Xylitol has caused gastric upset, including stomachache, gas and diarrhea.  Children should be monitored to ensure they don’t overdo this sweetener.

If you have questions regarding the use of Xylitol for your child, please ask your child’s Pediatric Dentist.  She will help you make the most appropriate decisions for your child’s specific oral health needs.  

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This privacy notice discloses our privacy practices and the use of Google Analytics 4(GA4), an analytic advertising feature. This privacy notice applies solely to information collected by this website and the GA4 platform. It will notify you of the following:

  1. What personally identifiable information is collected from you through the website and GA4 platform, how it is used, and with whom it may be shared.
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Information Collection, Use, and Sharing
We only have access to/collect information that you voluntarily give us via email or other direct contact from you. We will not sell or rent this information to anyone.

We will use your information to respond to you, regarding the reason you contacted us. Unless you ask us not to, we may contact you via email in the future to tell you about specials, new products or services, or changes to this privacy policy.

While Caring Tree Children's Dentistry is the primary data controller, Google, in the context of providing Google Analytics service, acts as a data processor. We use Google Analytics 4, a widely recognized web analytics service provided by Google, Inc., to track user interactions and gather data for advertising purposes. As a third-party vendor, Google Analytics operates independently and maintains its own privacy policy, which can be found at https://policies.google.com/privacy. We carefully select our third-party vendors for their commitment to user privacy and adherence to data protection standards. As part of our ongoing commitment to your privacy, we implement measures to ensure that services like GA4 comply with our high standards of data protection.

GA4 collects certain personally identifiable information from you as you interact with our website. This information includes but is not limited to your device ID, IP address, and geographic location. The information collected through GA4 is used to analyze user behavior, optimize our website’s performance, and tailor our content to better serve your needs. This data is compiled and anonymized, ensuring that it cannot be linked back to individual users.

Please note that GA4 may share the information collected with Google and other third-party service providers to enable data processing and reporting on website usage. However, we will not sell, rent, or share your information, especially your personally identifiable information, with any third party outside of our organization.

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You have certain rights regarding the data collected by GA4. You have the right to do the following at any time by contacting us via the email address or phone number given on our website:

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In addition to opting out of any future communications from us at any time, you may also opt out of the GA4 feature if you so choose. You can opt out of the GA4 Advertising Features we use through Ads Settings, Ad Settings for mobile apps, or through the NAI’s. This link points to Google Analytics’ currently available opt-outs for the web https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout/

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To ensure data protection while we are using GA4, we are implementing additional security measures that include and are not limited to:

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Wherever we collect sensitive information (such as credit card data), that information is encrypted and transmitted to us in a secure way. You can verify this by looking for a lock icon in the address bar and looking for “https” at the beginning of the address of the Web page.

While we use encryption to protect sensitive information transmitted online, we also protect your information offline. Only employees who need the information to perform a specific job (for example, billing or customer service) are granted access to personally identifiable information. The computers/servers in which we store personally identifiable information are kept in a secure environment.

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Notice of Privacy Practices

This privacy notice discloses the privacy practices for our website. This privacy notice applies solely to information collected by this website. It will notify you of the following:

  1. What personally identifiable information is collected from you through the website, how it is used and with whom it may be shared.
  2. What choices are available to you regarding the use of your data.
  3. The security procedures in place to protect the misuse of your information.
  4. How you can correct any inaccuracies in the information.

Information Collection, Use, and Sharing
When Personal Health Information (PHI) is requested, we abide by all Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) rules and regulations to protect your information and privacy. We are required by applicable federal and state law to maintain the privacy of your health information. We are also required to give you this Notice about our privacy practices, our legal duties, and our rights concerning your health information. We must follow the privacy practices that are described in this Notice while it is in effect. This notice takes effect January 1, 2019, and will remain in effect until we replace it. We reserve the right to change our privacy practices and the terms of this Notice at any time, provided such changes are permitted by applicable law. We reserve the right to make the changes in our privacy practices and the new terms of our Notice effective for all health information that we maintain, including health information we created or received before we made the changes. Before we make a significant change in our privacy practices, we will change this Notice and make the new Notice available upon request. You may request a copy of our Notice at any time. For more information about our privacy practices, or for additional copies of this Notice, please contact us using the information listed at the end of this Notice.

Wherever we request sensitive information (such as personal health information (PHI)), that information is encrypted and transmitted to us in a secure way. You can verify this by looking for a lock icon in the address bar and looking for “https” at the beginning of the address of the Web page.

We are the sole owners of the information collected on this site. We only have access to/collect information that you voluntarily give us via email or other direct contact from you. We will not sell or rent this information to anyone.

We will use your information to respond to you, regarding the reason you contacted us. We will not share your information with any third party outside of our organization, other than to perform quality of service analysis and as necessary to fulfill your request, e.g. to respond to your queries. We may use your information to review our interactions with you and to help us improve and provide you with the best experience possible.

Unless you ask us not to, we may contact you via email in the future to tell you about specials, new products or services, or changes to this privacy policy.

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You may opt out of any future contacts from us at any time. You can do the following at any time by contacting us via the email address or phone number given on our website:

  • See what data we have about you, if any.
  • Change/correct any data we have about you.
  • Have us delete any data we have about you.
  • Express any concern you have about our use of your data.
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  • You have additional rights, please contact the office for the latest copy of our Notice of Privacy Practices and to ask any questions.

Security
We take precautions to protect your information. When you submit sensitive information via the website, your information is protected both online and offline.

Wherever we collect sensitive information (such as personal health information or credit card data), that information is encrypted and transmitted to us in a secure way. You can verify this by looking for a lock icon in the address bar and looking for “https” at the beginning of the address of the Web page.

While we use encryption to protect sensitive information transmitted online, we also protect your information offline. Only employees who need the information to perform a specific job (for example: billing or customer service) are granted access to personally identifiable information. The computers/servers in which we store personally identifiable information are kept in a secure environment.

If you feel that we are not complying with your rights, you should contact us immediately via telephone or email. You also have the right to contact Health and Human Services (HHS) (https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/). We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

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Entering this site or the links accessible through this site, you agree to be bound by this agreement. The information and the resources contained on and accessible through this site are made available by Caring Tree Children's Dentistry and/or its suppliers and vendors, and are subject to your agreement to their terms and conditions.

All contents copyright (c) Caring Tree Children's Dentistry

All rights reserved, Caring Tree Children's Dentistry makes this website available to all users for the sole purpose of providing educational information on health-related issues.

The accuracy of website, information, and resources identified are not warranted or guaranteed, or intended to be a substitute for professional health advice, to contradict health advice given, or for health care of any kind.

Your use of this website indicates your agreement to be bound by the Terms of Use and you expressly agree to be bound to the foregoing terms and conditions.

All materials on this website, including the site’s design, layout, and organization, are owned and copyrighted by Caring Tree Children's Dentistry, or its suppliers or vendors, and are protected by U.S. and international copyrights.

Material on this site may be used for personal use only. Commercial use of any sort is strictly prohibited.

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This site may not be used as a supplement or alternative for health care, and is not intended and does not warrant or guarantee the quality or quantity of any services of any of the advertisers identified; further, the information provided is merely for educational purposes, and its accuracy is not guaranteed. Do not use this site as a substitute for health care. Please consult with your doctor or other health care provider regarding any health questions you may have. This site may not be used for health diagnosis or treatment. Do not use this site to disregard any health advice, nor to delay seeking health advice, because of something you read or see in this site.

You understand and agree that neither Caring Tree Children's Dentistry nor its suppliers or vendors or linked domain names are responsible or liable for any claim, loss, or damage of any kind, directly or indirectly resulting from your use of this site or the information or the resources contained on or accessible through it.

Caring Tree Children's Dentistry expressly disclaims any implied warranty or representation about the information or accuracy, relevance, completeness, timeliness or appropriateness for any particular purpose of any kind. Your use of this site is also subject to all additional disclaimers that may appear throughout the site.

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This site also includes links to other internet sites created and maintained by Caring Tree Children's Dentistry’s suppliers, vendors, affiliates, or subscribers. Be aware that Caring Tree Children's Dentistry does not control, makes no guarantees about, and disclaims any express or implied representations or warranties about the accuracy, relevance, completeness, timeliness or appropriateness for a particular purpose of the information or the resources contained on these or any other internet sites.

Further, the inclusion of these links is merely for your convenience and is not intended and does not reflect Caring Tree Children's Dentistry’s opinion on the accuracy or the importance of these other sites; further, Caring Tree Children's Dentistry does not endorse in any manner any of the views expressed in, or products or services offered by these other sites. All information in any site by Caring Tree Children's Dentistry, or associated or linked site, is extracted, read, used, or relied upon by you at your own risk.

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Caring Tree Children's Dentistry and its suppliers and vendors disclaim all express or implied representations or warranties regarding the information, services, products, materials, and any other resources contained on or accessible through this site, including without limitation any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. All information provided by Caring Tree Children's Dentistry is made available “as is” and “as available” without warranty of any kind, or any express or implied promise, including, by way of example, its continuing availability.

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With respect to products, goods, or services purchased from any entity identified, listed, named or contacted through Caring Tree Children's Dentistry’s website, or any links to Caring Tree Children's Dentistry’s website, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, in no event shall Caring Tree Children's Dentistry or its suppliers or vendors be liable for any direct, indirect, special, punitive, incidental, exemplary, contractual, or consequential damages, or any damages whatsoever of any kind, resulting from any loss, which by way of example, includes loss of use, loss of data, loss of profits, business interruption, litigation, or any other pecuniary loss, whether based on breach of contract, tort (including negligence), product liability, or otherwise, arising out of or in any way connected with the use or performance of this site, with the delay or inability to use this site, or with the provision of or failure to make available any information, services, products, materials, or other resources contained on or accessible through this site, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.

You acknowledge and agree that the limitations set forth above are elements of this agreement, and that this site would not be provided to you absent such limitations.

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You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Caring Tree Children's Dentistry and its suppliers and vendors from any liability, loss, claim, and expense (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) related to your violation of this agreement or use of this site in any manner. Your use of this site shall constitute your acceptance of the terms of this Agreement, as revised and modified, if any, each time you access this site. Caring Tree Children's Dentistry may modify this agreement at any time, and such modifications shall be effective immediately upon posting of the modified agreement.

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Caring Tree Children's Dentistry’s failure to insist upon strict enforcement of any provision(s) of this agreement shall not be construed as a waiver of any provision or right.

This agreement and the resolution of any dispute related to this agreement or this site shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of , without giving effect to any principles or conflicts of law. Any legal action or proceeding between Caring Tree Children's Dentistry or its links, suppliers or vendors and you related to this agreement or this site shall be brought exclusively in a state or federal court of competent jurisdiction sitting in , .

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All materials on this website, including the site’s design, layout, and organization, are owned and copyrighted by Caring Tree Children's Dentistry or its suppliers or vendors, and are protected by U.S. and international copyrights.

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