Reingewirtz Y, Girault O, Reingewirtz N, Senger B, Tenenbaum H
Department of Periodontology, Dental Faculty of Strasbourg, France.
Quintessence Int. 1999 May;30(5):319-23.
Chewing gum may act as a masking or a therapeutic agent against the different chemical compounds that are responsible for oral malodor. An open-label exploratory study investigated the effect of mastication and aromatic components of chewing gum on reducing oral volatile sulfur compounds.
Twelve dental students (5 males and 7 females) acted as their own controls. Toothbrushing stopped 12 hours before observations. Measurements included organoleptic and volatile sulfur compound scores and the pH of the anterior and posterior zones of the dorsal tongue. Measurements were made at 9 AM and 12 PM on 1 day for 3 successive weeks; week 1, no gum (control); week 2, test gum; week 3, unsweetened gum base. This open-label study was then completed by an observer-blind study, according to the same schedule; the recorded measurement was the plaque index.
The pH, volatile sulfur compounds, and organoleptic scores were similar for all groups. The pH was more basic in the posterior part than in the anterior zone of the dorsal tongue, irrespective of time and presence or absence of chewing gum. In addition, the volatile sulfur compound score rose transiently immediately after the test gum, and the organoleptic score fell in the first hour only after the test gum. The two chewing gum groups seemed to have a greater reduction in plaque index than did the control (no gum) group.
Chewing gum may have a valuable mechanical role in cleaning dental surfaces, and the test gum may temporarily control bad breath. After 3 hours, similar volatile sulfur compound scores were observed for subjects who chewed either test or unsweetened gum base and control subjects.
口香糖可作为一种掩盖剂或治疗剂，对抗导致口腔异味的不同化合物。一项开放标签探索性研究调查了口香糖的咀嚼动作和芳香成分对减少口腔挥发性硫化物的影响。
12名牙科专业学生（5名男性和7名女性）作为自身对照。观察前12小时停止刷牙。测量指标包括感官评分和挥发性硫化物评分，以及舌背前后区域的pH值。在连续3周的每周1天上午9点和中午12点进行测量；第1周，不嚼口香糖（对照）；第2周，嚼试验口香糖；第3周，嚼无糖胶基。然后按照相同时间表，由观察者盲法研究完成这项开放标签研究；记录的测量指标是菌斑指数。
所有组的pH值、挥发性硫化物和感官评分相似。无论时间以及是否嚼口香糖，舌背后部的pH值比舌背前部更偏碱性。此外，咀嚼试验口香糖后，挥发性硫化物评分立即短暂上升，感官评分仅在咀嚼试验口香糖后的第1小时下降。两个口香糖组的菌斑指数降低幅度似乎比对照组（不嚼口香糖）更大。
口香糖在清洁牙齿表面方面可能具有重要的机械作用，试验口香糖可能会暂时控制口臭。3小时后，咀嚼试验口香糖或无糖胶基的受试者与对照组受试者的挥发性硫化物评分相似。
