[Tooth protecting chewing gum tablets for lessening caries risk].
This study examines whether the regular use of sugar-free chewing gum can improve oral hygiene and therefore reduce the risk of caries. During a four-week test, twenty subjects chewed a piece of gum twice a day for thirty minutes after meals. At the start, after two weeks, and at the end of the test period, the plaque and gingiva indices were recorded and the buffer capacity and secretion rate of the saliva determined. At the end of the test, a substantial reduction in the plaque and gingiva indices, an increase in the secretion rate and an improvement in buffer capacity were found, in comparison with the start levels. The changes were statistically significant. Sugar-free chewing gum alone is no substitute for regular dental care, but its use can be recommended as a way of supplementing traditional methods of oral hygiene.