Oral Health and Dental Management

Abstract

Clinical study regarding the influence of the sugared and sugar-free chewing gum on the salivary pH and flow rate

Cristina Nuca, Corneliu Amariei

The knowledge that salivary stimulation leads to an increase in the flow rate, pH and supersaturation
of saliva in hydroxylapatite has produced much interest in agents that stimulate an increase in
salivary flow.
Having in view of the clinical importance of the salivary properties in maintaining the equilibrium
between demineralization and remineralization of the crystalline phase of the enamel, the aim of this
study is to assess the influence of the sugared and sugar-free chewing gums on the salivary flow rate
and pH.
This study was made on a number of 23 children, the average age of 12 years and 9 months. To stimulate
the salivary flow rate we used: paraffin wax, a sugared chewing gum and a sugar-free chewing
gum.
The mean results show that the pH of the stimulated saliva decreases in the following order: sugarfree
chewing gum, paraffin wax, and sugared chewing gum, with similar results between paraffin
wax and sugar-free chewing gum, but with an important difference between these two and the sugared
chewing gum. Regarding the stimulated salivary flow rate, the highest value was obtained for
the sugared gum.
As a conclusion, we can state that even the sugar-containing gums are able to stimulate the salivary
flow, the salivary induced pH is low, and so the benefits of their use cannot be guaranteed. Chewing
a sugar-free gum containing xylitol is safer and very effective for the dental health.