Xylitol

Is there truly any benefit to adding xylitol to homemade toothpastes and mouthwashes? I'm so on the fence about xylitol - my dentist keeps shoving it (and flouride, ugh) into my face like it's my teeth's savior, and I see it included in recipes for toothpaste, but will my oral health actually reap any benefit from adding this sugar substitute?

You don't need xylitol for healthy teeth and cavity prevention if you eat right. I do not use or promote the use of xylitol as it is not a traditional sweetener in any sense of the word. Anything that you have to extract/produce in a factory is not something I am interested in putting in my body.