The use of sugar free chewing gum as a supplement in the prevention of dental caries. Narrative Review

Cite as: Matthews F. The use of sugar free chewing gum as a supplement in the prevention of dental caries. Narrative Review. J Oral Res 2015; 4(2): 129-136. Abstract: Dental caries is one of the most prevalent diseases. The WHO has classified it as one of the major public health problems worldwide. That is why a special emphasis has been paid to developing new preventive methods and the use of gum without sugar has been included as one of them. This strategy has significant benefits on oral health due to: (1) saliva stimulation, which favors teeth clearance and regulates the pH; (2) remineralization promotion as a result of the above and incorporation of minerals to the gum; (3) mechanical control of the bacterial plaque; (4) replacement of sugar by sweeteners which are harmful for bacteria (the most commonly used is xylitol) and (5) incorporation of active agents such as bicarbonate, casein, urea, chlorhexidine and chitosan, among others. Despite these benefits, the effect of the gum is considered to be weak for dental caries prevention when used instead of brushing. Therefore, its implementation must be proposed as a complement to oral hygiene routines and not as a preventive measure by itself. It is necessary to carry out a greater amount of clinical trials to evaluate its effectiveness in a context of high biological variability in the short and long term and including patients of different sex, age, socio-economic status and systemic health.