Review Article

Sugar Alcohols, Caries Incidence, and Remineralization of Caries Lesions: A Literature Review

Figure 2

Relationship between the structural configurations of sorbitol (D-glucitol), D-glucose, and xylitol. The molecular configurations of sorbitol and glucose are relatively similar. Hence, sorbitol can be called a “glucose-polyol”. The configuration of xylitol (a “non-glucose polyol”) markedly differs from the two other configurations. The close similarity of sorbitol with glucose partly explains its plaque-promoting and mutans streptococci-stimulating effects.
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