Xylitol has saved my teeth and my health, and is one of the few sugar substitutes that I can not only tolerate, but actually improves my well-being. The safest versions of xylitol (a naturally occurring sugar alcohol) are sourced from the hardwood trees of North America, for the Chinese product is often processed from corn crops grown with pesticides not allowed in the USA. Xylitol works to improve dental health in two ways, it makes your mouth an unfriendly environment for the dental bacteria that cause cavities, such that they can't reproduce, and it makes your mouth an alkaline environment such that the minerals in the food and water you drink can actually bond to teeth and help to re-mineralize the enamel, helping to strengthen your teeth.

I am nearly 50 years old, have had new cavities nearly every year since my childhood, and after reading dentist Dr. Ellie Phillip DDS' book "Kiss your dentist goodbye" have been drinking a solution of xylitol water after every time I eat anything for about 5 years now. Xylitol has been responsible for preserving my remaining teeth despite my working in conditions that don't allow me to brush my teeth after every meal. When I first discovered xylitol, I was having several cavities a year, my teeth were yellow, sensitive to the touch and to hot and cold (all signs of thin enamel), and my morning breath lasted all day long (also caused by dental bacteria), and the glands in my neck were swollen. Within 6 weeks of starting to use xylitol and changing toothpaste to one free of sorbitol and fluoride (more on that below), my glands were back to normal, my tooth sensitivity was noticeably better, my teeth were shiny and white, and my bad breath had disappeared and even my reusable water bottle smelled clean and fresh. My husband has used xylitol gums to achieve similar results during the same time period, and his health would suffer if he was no longer able to get xylitol gum. We both would welcome a warning that xylitol is toxic to pets on xylitol products, as we feel consumers should be provided with all the info needed to make informed choices, but a complete ban is not justified.

In the same spirit, I would like to see products containing sorbitol to also be required to contain a warning, indicating that sorbitol sweetener creates an oral environment that allows the dental bacteria that cause cavities to thrive. I learned this fact from Dr Elle's book, and was shocked to find out that it is the most common sweetener used in toothpastes, which is great for the manufacturers, because the more you use their toothpaste the more you will need to brush your teeth because you are creating a dental bacteria population explosion. It is also the most common sweetener used in sugar-free gums, but every time I use a product with sorbitol, I can tell immediately, even if it wasn't labeled, because the bad breath I had banished with xylitol comes roaring back. I find it so ironic that products sold to promote dental health can have a sweetener that feeds the health of dental bacteria, and most consumers know nothing of the side-effects of this cheap sweetener. I avoid sorbitol like the plague now.

Banning xylitol altogether from products intended for human consumption would be detrimental to many people's health, and is not necessary, for with proper warning labels, pet owners can be informed that it may make their pets deathly ill and they should keep it away from their pets. There are many products with beneficial purposes that can be toxic to pets, and while it is the manufacturer's responsibility to put warning labels on products that can have adverse effects if not used properly, it has always been the responsibility of pet owners to supervise their pets and keep them from chewing on anything that is not meant for their consumption. As a responsible xylitol user, I keep my xylitol supplies from being where others' pets could get into them, but I don't think products beneficial to my health should be banned to protect animals from negligence on the part of their ignorant owners. It would be better to educate everyone as to the pros and cons of xylitol, and let people chose which products to purchase and take the responsibility for storing their purchases safely.