Stevia Rebaudiana is a shrub-like plant in the sunflower family that is native to North and South America and is known for its sweet leaves. Stevia rebaudiana extract is often referred to as "stevia." The extract is about 1000 times sweeter than sugar so it can be used at a very low concentration. Stevia is a "sugar free" sweetener so it will not be metabolized like sugar. Since it is sugar-free, it will not be used by plaque bacteria to produce the sugar acids that cause tooth decay.

Our Stewardship Model guides us to select ingredients which have been processed in a manner that supports our philosophy of human and environmental health.

The Stevia we use is extracted from the leaves of Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni. The resulting extract is filtered and purified before being crystallized and dried into the ingredient we use in our oral care products.

Most oral care products use saccharin as a sweetener, but Tom's has never used, or will ever use, artificial sweeteners. Tom's does use xylitol, another natural sugar-free sweetener, but xylitol does not have the same impact that stevia has regarding sweetness.

The extract Tom's of Maine uses is classified and approved by the FDA as a sweetener.

Tom's of Maine recognizes that no two people are alike, and even with naturally derived ingredients, some individuals may develop an allergic reaction that is unique to them. As with any product, be sure to discontinue use if you experience discomfort or other indications that the product may not be appropriate for your individual body chemistry.