Brush your teeth, floss and don't forget the Gummi Bears.

This advice to children might become the norm if University of Washington researchers prove that the chewy candies, when made with the sweetener xylitol, can reduce tooth decay.

Research by dental experts already has shown that xylitol gum, when chewed for five minutes after eating, reduces the bacteria in the mouth that cause tooth decay and thus helps prevent cavities. Chewing gum, however, is not an option for younger children or kids during school hours. It's generally banned in classrooms because it often ends up stuck to desks and chairs, so dental researchers in Seattle persuaded a California candy maker to add xylitol to its Gummi Bears.

"Our goal was to get xylitol, which is good for teeth, into kids' diets without encouraging them to chew gum in school," said professor of dentistry and lead researcher Peter Milgrom, who also has worked with food manufacturers to add xylitol to cookies, pudding and other desserts.

Xylitol is a natural sugar that can be derived from fruit, berries, vegetables, birch wood, corn residue, straw and nutshells. It is described as having a "pleasant, refreshing and cooling sensation" with no aftertaste like artificial sweeteners, and it is as sweet as sugar (sucrose).

Xylitol was discovered by a German chemist in 1891 "and has been around for several decades in Finland," explained Marilynn Rothen, clinical manager at the university's dental research clinic. "It was used during World War II because there was a sugar shortage." Studies looking at xylitol and tooth decay were first conducted in Finland in the early 1970s, and it was found that the natural sweetener greatly reduced tooth decay. It's been used in this country since 1963, but has had limited applications because it is more expensive to manufacture.

"In Seattle, a pound of xylitol in the health food store costs between $10 and $12," Rothen said.

Xylitol has fewer calories than sugar —— 2.5 calories per gram, compared with sugar's 4 calories. In a study published in 2000, University of Minnesota School of Dentistry researchers found that to be effective, gum must contain only xylitol —— not a combination of sweeteners.

The target market for xylitol-sweetened Gummi Bears is children, but volunteers for this research are adults because it is easier to standardize the study's components.

Researchers expect to conclude the current study in six or eight months, and it will be another six to nine months before the data are fully analyzed.

Xylitol gum and mints also are beneficial for those who have dry mouth, a growing problem because of some medications' side effects. The lack of saliva encourages the growth of decay-causing bacteria, so dentists are seeing an upsurge in cavities in adults.

To get the most for your money, use xylitol products only after eating when brushing is not an option. If you have dry mouth, use other sugar-free gums and candies at other times.

Xylitol products are difficult to find in stores, but if you enter "xylitol gum" into a search engine, you'll find multiple online stores that sell the gum and other xylitol-sweetened products.

E'Louise Ondash of Vista is a registered nurse. Contact her at elo3@cox.net.