Dear Dr. Ellie,
I have a quick question……is there any difference in the Zellies kids gum versus the regular Zellies gum? Meaning does one have more benefit than the other?
T
Hi T,
Each piece of the adult gum contains 0.7 grams of xylitol whereas the children’s gum contains 0.5 grams.Each Zellie mint is 0.5 grams of xylitol per piece.
Since xylitol is safe : there is no problem with a child consuming a piece of the adult gum or vice versa.
The kids gum is simply smaller in size for little mouths and it is quite sweet tasting because of the raspberry flavor.
I do know a number of moms who end up eating their kids gum and a number of kids who prefer the mint or fruit of the adult gum!
So it is your choice.
Remember that if you are looking to “change” unhealthy bacteria in your mouth it takes six months of 6.5 grams of xylitol each day to do this effectively (according to the research )[You can mix and match the sources]
Some dentists give out calculation sheets sort of like calorie counting: to make sure you are eating enough each day.
For example, you could eat four pieces of kid’s gum ( 2 grams) + eight Zellies ( 4 grams) during the day + a piece of adult gum = 6.7 grams total.
For maintenance or just to protect your teeth lower dosage seems to work just fine but the research has not come out yet.
My suggestion would be to find the Xylitol that you like and eat a little after each meal or snack.
Then just watch how you hygienist praises you at your next dental check up!
Good luck and take care,
Ellie
Categories: Xylitol