Miracle Ingredient Alert!

There is a natural sweetener called xylitol. It is as sweet as sugar but only has 40% of the calories, and the calories that it does have are absorbed by your body very slowly. As a result it has a low glycemic index. It won't spike your blood sugar way up and then let you crash 30 minutes later. It also does not cause tooth decay.

But none of the above is what makes it a miracle ingredient. It has amazing benefits in preventing tooth decay. Dentists are now starting to recommend chewing at least five pieces of xylitol-sweetened gum per day for four or five minutes at a time.

In long term studies not only did the xylitol have protective effects during the study, it had protective effects years after the study had ended. It also has an anticarcinogenic effect from the reduced bacteria population in the mouth.

This is a nice summary of its dental benefits from Wikipedia:

Xylitol is a toothfriendly sugar substitute. In addition to discouraging tooth decay by replacing dietary sugars, xylitol may actively aid in repairing minor cavities caused by dental caries. Recent research confirms a plaque-reducing effect and suggests that the compound, having some chemical properties similar to sucrose, attracts and then "starves" harmful micro-organisms, allowing the mouth to remineralize damaged teeth with less interruption. (However, this same effect also interferes with the yeast micro-organism and others, so xylitol is inappropriate in making bread, for instance.) The United States Army, acting on this data, will soon pack xylitol-sweetened gum in MREs (meals ready to eat).

It has also been shown to reduce ear infections!

Studies have shown that xylitol chewing gum can help prevent ear infections (acute otitis media); the act of chewing and swallowing assists with the disposal of earwax and clearing the middle ear, whilst the presence of xylitol prevents the growth of bacteria in the eustachian tubes which connect the nose and ear.

A few chewing gums have xylitol in them now. Trident was the first one to include it in 2004, but not all of the flavors. Orbit does too, but also not all of the flavors have it.

I am only going to buy gum that has xylitol in it from now on. I like to keep plenty of gum on hand at work to chew after meals and snacks and when I get there first thing in the morning to get the chocolate soy protein drink out of my mouth.

They also make xylitol sweetened mints that also provide dental benefits, although I have not seen these yet. You can also buy xylitol in bulk yourself and use it like you would sugar, except with yeast breads because it kills the yeast cells.