The Science

In recent years, a program of work consisting of three major systematic reviews from scientists at King's College London (KCL) has demonstrated the oral health benefits of chewing sugar-free gum.

In 2019, scientists at the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences at KCL published the key outcomes of a systematic review and meta-analysis on the role of sugar-free chewing gum in dental caries. The systematic review showed that people who regularly chewed sugar free gum developed 28% less caries than those who did not.¹

The systematic review also found evidence that the impact of chewing sugar-free on the development of dental caries compares favorably to other preventative oral care interventions such as using fluoride toothpastes, using fluoride supplements, oral health education, and supervised tooth brushing.

In 2021, the scientists conducted another systematic review of randomized controlled trials with adults and children. The review found that chewing sugar-free gum reduces the load of Streptococcus mutans (a contributor to tooth decay which is mostly found on the surfaces of teeth) in the oral cavity in comparison to non-chewing controls. Considering the degree of variability in the effect and the moderate quality of the trials included, there is a need for future research exploring the use sugar-free gum as a preventive measure for reducing the cariogenic oral bacterial load.²

In 2022, a third systematic review and meta-analysis was published which looked at the effect of chewing sugar-free gum on plaque quantity. It found that chewing sugar-free gum significantly reduced plaque quantity in the oral cavity, with an effect size of -0.778 - a statistically significant effect. When looking more specifically at xylitol gum, the review also found that it significantly reduced plaque quantity. The study concluded that this research provides evidence to support the use of sugar-free gum - and more particularly xylitol sugar-free gum - in reducing plaque quantity in adults.³

All three systematic reviews were undertaken by a specialist group of scientists from KCL:

• Professor Jonathon Timothy Newton, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London, Guy’s Dental Hospital, UK
• Oluwatunmise Awojobi, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London, Guy’s Dental Hospital, UK
• Dr Melanie Nasseripour, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London, Guy’s Dental Hospital, UK
• Fiona Warburton, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London, Guy’s Dental Hospital, UK
• Sonya Di Giorgio, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London, Guy’s Dental Hospital, UK
• Professor Jennifer Elizabeth Gallagher, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London, Guy’s Dental Hospital, UK
• Professor Avijit Banerjee, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London, Guy’s Dental Hospital, UK

This program of research was made possible with support from the Wrigley Oral Healthcare Program. We have been researching the oral health benefits of chewing gum for more than 90 years. We remain committed to research in this area to understand the science behind oral health and chewing and help people around the world improve their oral health.

Published Research