Press Releases

DentaQuest Helps Members Reduce Cavities Through Discounts on Xylitol Gum and Products -- 11/22/2004

It sounds so simple. Chew xylitol gum three times a day and reduce cavities by up to 80 percent. Simple, but true.

Clinical studies have shown that consuming products containing xylitol, a natural sweetener, is one of the most effective ways to significantly reduce cavities for both children and adults. Which is why DentaQuest Ventures is now offering a 25 percent discount to all of its members on xylitol-sweeetened products such as gum, mints, mouthwash, and toothpaste through an agreement with Epic Dental, a leading provider of dental care products containing xylitol.

“As a leader in the dental wellness field, we want to do everything possible to help our members achieve and maintain good oral health. Xylitol products have been proven to inhibit growth of the bacteria in the mouth that causes cavities,” said Doyle Williams, D.D.S., chief dental officer of DentaQuest Ventures. “By providing member education along with discounts on these products, we hope that more people will use them and benefit from them.”

The scientifically proven, cavity reducing benefits of xylitol products are well documented. A study of children aged 11 to 12 who consumed 7 to 10 grams of xylitol daily for two years showed a 30 to 60 percent reduction in new cavities. When the study was continued for a third year among a group considered at high-risk for tooth decay, the group chewing xylitol gum developed 50 to 80 percent fewer cavities. The long-term cavity-preventing effects of xylitol are also dramatic. Even two to three years after xylitol use has been discontinued, users saw a 55 percent reduction in cavities during the post-use years. Studies have also shown that xylitol reduces plaque formation on teeth, which contributes to tooth decay, and chewing xylitol gum increases saliva, which aids in the repair of damaged tooth enamel.

To obtain the dental health benefits of xylitol, people should consume between 5 to 10 grams every day. That translates to chewing two chicklets of xylitol gum, three times a day, preferably after meals. Xylitol has the same sweetness and caloric value as sucrose and has no unpleasant aftertaste. “If people follow this simple advice, they could never have another new cavity the rest of their lives,” added Dr. Williams.

The cavity preventing benefits of xylitol were discovered by a group of scientists from Finland in the early 1970s. The first xylitol-sweetened chewing gum was introduced in 1975 in Europe, where these products have helped reduce cavities for nearly 30 years. American manufacturers such as Utah-based Epic Dental began offering xylitol-sweetened products to consumers over the past year and a number of well-known, brand name gum and toothpaste manufacturers have recently introduced products containing xylitol into the U.S. market.

DentaQuest members who are interested in purchasing discounted xylitol products can visit the company’s website at http://www.dentaquest.com or Epic’s website at http://www.epicdental.com.

DentaQuest Ventures, Inc. is one of the largest dental benefit service companies in the country with more than eight and one half million members. Headquartered in Boston with offices in Calverton MD. and Mequon WI., DentaQuest employs 650 people nationwide. DentaQuest offers a full spectrum of commercial dental plans, including indemnity, PPO, managed care, dual-option, Medicaid, and voluntary plans throughout the country. The company’s Doral Dental USA subsidiary, located in Mequon, WI, is one of the largest multi-state administrators of government dental programs in the U.S.

Epic Dental is the leading provider of innovative dental care products containing xylitol, a natural sweetener that has been clinically proven to reduce cavities by up to 80 percent. Epic’s xylitol products are available in gum, mints, toothpaste, and mouthwash.

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