A new studyhas found that sugar-free lollipops containing licorice root extractsignificantly reduce the bacteria that causes tooth decay, specificallyin preschool children at high risk. The findings appear in the European Archives of Pediatric Dentistry journal.
For the study, 66 preschool students ages 2 to 5 were given alollipop for 10 minutes twice daily for 3 weeks. Using a saliva test,researchers measured the amount of Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) in the patient’s mouth before and during the 3-week period when lollipops were used, as well as for several weeks thereafter.
Results showed a significant reduction in S. mutans, theprimary bacteria responsible for tooth decay, during the 3-week periodwhen the lollipops were being used and for an additional 22 daysafterward.
“The use of the licorice root lollipops is an ideal approach as itwill stop the transfer and implantation of the bacteria that causedental decay from mothers to their infants and toddlers,” said MartinCurzon, editor-in-chief of European Archives of Pediatric Dentistry. “It also has the merit of being a low-cost, high-impact public dental health measure.”
The lollipops, manufactured by Dr. John’s Candies,Grand Rapids, Mich, were developed using FDA-approved materials byWenyuan Shi, PhD, a microbiologist at UCLA, and C3 Jian Inc, Inglewood,Calif, a research and development company. The orange-flavored,sugarless lollipops contain extract of licorice root (Glycyrrhiza uralensis), which targets and is thought to kill S. mutans.
