Research Library
Every claim across this site is meant to trace back to a real, checkable source — a government health agency, a peer-reviewed journal, or a systematic review. This page is the central library for that evidence: what we cite, where it comes from, and — just as importantly — what kind of claim each source can and can't support. Every guide on this site links back here, and this page links out to every guide, so you can always trace a specific claim to its source and back.
How We Rank Evidence: The Evidence Ladder
Not all research carries the same weight. We sort sources into four tiers, from strongest to weakest, and we try to be explicit in our content about which tier a given claim rests on.
- Tier 1 — Systematic reviews & meta-analyses of human clinical trials. The strongest available evidence, since it pools multiple controlled trials in people rather than relying on one study.
- Tier 2 — Individual randomized controlled trials in humans. Strong evidence, but a single trial's results can be strain-specific, dose-specific, or population-specific.
- Tier 3 — Laboratory (in vitro) or animal studies. Useful for understanding a plausible mechanism, but not proof that the same effect occurs in a person's mouth.
- Tier 4 — Government health-agency guidance and consensus statements. Authoritative for general facts (how a disease develops, established prevention advice) even when a specific supplement claim isn't addressed.
Government & Institutional Sources
| Source | Used for | Link |
|---|---|---|
| NIDCR (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research) | Gum disease prevalence, causes, prevention guidance | nidcr.nih.gov |
| U.S. Food and Drug Administration | Dietary supplement regulation, xylitol safety status, GMP standards | fda.gov |
| PubMed / National Library of Medicine | Peer-reviewed clinical and laboratory research | pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov |
| Cochrane Library | Systematic reviews of controlled trials | cochranelibrary.com |
Peer-Reviewed Studies Referenced Across This Site
Below are the specific studies our ingredient and topic guides draw on. Each entry notes its evidence tier and which guide discusses it in context.
Xylitol & dental caries
- Tier 1. Riley P, et al. "Xylitol-containing products for preventing dental caries in children and adults." Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2015. View on Cochrane Library →
- Tier 1. "Is xylitol effective in the prevention of dental caries? A systematic review." PMID 39544205, 2024. View on PubMed →
- Discussed in: Xylitol and Oral Health →
Cranberry polyphenols & oral bacteria
- Tier 3. La VD, Howell AB, Grenier D. "Anti-Porphyromonas gingivalis and anti-inflammatory activities of A-type cranberry proanthocyanidins." Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 2010. PMID 20176905. View on PubMed →
- Tier 3. "Influence of cranberry proanthocyanidins on formation of biofilms by Streptococcus mutans on saliva-coated apatitic surface and on dental caries development in vivo." PMID 20234135. View on PubMed →
- Discussed in: Cranberry Extract and Oral Health →
Gum disease & periodontal health
- Tier 4. NIDCR. "Periodontal (Gum) Disease." View on NIDCR →
- Tier 4. NIDCR. "Periodontal Disease in Adults (Age 30 or Older)" — national prevalence data. View on NIDCR →
- Discussed in: Healthy Gums Guide →
Oral microbiome & postbiotics
- Tier 1/3 mixed. Systematic review of postbiotics and dental caries (21 studies identified; 18 in vitro, 3 randomized clinical trials), 2025.
- Discussed in: Understanding the Oral Microbiome →
What This Research Does — and Doesn't — Prove
We want to be direct about a limitation that applies across this entire site: the studies above generally examine individual ingredients or mechanisms, often in laboratory settings. They are legitimate, peer-reviewed science, and they explain why an ingredient was chosen. They are not, by themselves, clinical proof that a finished multi-ingredient product produces a specific outcome in a general population. Where our content discusses DentaBiome specifically, we try to keep that distinction clear rather than letting ingredient-level evidence stand in for product-level proof.
Explore Our Dental Health Guides
Every topic below draws on the sources listed above. Start with the hub, or jump directly to a guide.