Masalin K
Finnish Dental Care Ltd., Helsinki.
Community Dent Health. 1992 Mar;9(1):3-10.
Two-hundred and thirty-two workers who had taken part in a comprehensive study on occupational risks in the Finnish confectionery industry and who were still in the same employment, were tested for their willingness to use xylitol-containing products for caries prevention and for the effects of voluntary use of these products on their caries-promoting salivary characteristics. Xylitol-sorbitol chewing-gum and xylitol tablets were provided at the places of work for free use over a three-month period. The consumption was measured, the workers were asked for their opinions of the xylitol, and the effects of the products used on salivary characteristics were studied by means of a caries-risk index. Eighty-six per cent of the workers on the production lines reported having used xylitol-containing products during the study period. About 70 per cent consumed on average either 6.9 pieces of chewing-gum (range 0-20) or 1.2 tablets (range 0-15) per day. Eighty-one per cent thought that use of xylitol was good for their dental health. Five per cent thought the opposite. Use of xylitol-containing products was found to increase salivary flow and salivary buffer capacity of the subjects. A decrease in the number of workers with high salivary S. mutans count was observed. On examining shifts from risk groups to non-risk groups, a statistically significant positive change was noted. The results indicate that an ordinary commercial xylitol-containing chewing-gum can be used to decrease caries risk factors in confectionery workers.
232名参与了芬兰糖果业职业风险综合研究且仍在原岗位工作的工人，接受了关于使用含木糖醇产品预防龋齿的意愿测试，以及自愿使用这些产品对其促进龋齿形成的唾液特征的影响测试。在工作场所提供了木糖醇 - 山梨醇口香糖和木糖醇片，供工人在三个月内免费使用。测量了产品的消耗量，询问了工人对木糖醇的看法，并通过龋齿风险指数研究了所使用产品对唾液特征的影响。生产线上86%的工人报告在研究期间使用了含木糖醇的产品。约70%的工人平均每天消耗6.9片口香糖（范围0 - 20片）或1.2片木糖醇片（范围0 - 15片）。81%的人认为使用木糖醇对他们的牙齿健康有益。5%的人持相反观点。研究发现，使用含木糖醇的产品会增加受试者的唾液流量和唾液缓冲能力。观察到唾液中变形链球菌数量较多的工人数量有所减少。在检查从风险组向非风险组的转变时，发现了具有统计学意义的积极变化。结果表明，普通的市售含木糖醇口香糖可用于降低糖果业工人的龋齿风险因素。
