VOLUME 2 , ISSUE 1 ( January-June, 2012 ) > List of Articles
Senthil M, Prathibha M, Ramu A
Keywords : chewing gum, plaque control, Quigley-Hein plaque index, randomized control trial
Citation Information : M S, M P, A R. Efficiency of Commercially Available Sugar-free and Sugared Chewing Gums in Plaque Control-A Randomized Control Trial. 2012; 2 (1):1-5.
DOI: 10.5005/jsd-2-1-1
License: CC BY-NC 4.0
Published Online: 07-08-2020
Copyright Statement: Copyright © 2012; The Author(s).
Background: Chewing gum has been proven to have benefits towards reducing plaque accumulation in oral cavity by mechanical action. The newer sugar- free chewing gums claim additional chemical action towards plaque control. Hence this study was conducted to find out the efficiency of two commercially available xylitol/mannitol containing sugarfree chewing gums in plaque control. Methodology: A single blind randomized control trial was done among twenty patients between 20 to 40 years of age. Two sugar free chewing gums, Protex- Happy Dent and Orbit were used in the study. Quigley-Hein plaque index (QHPI) was used to record plaque score before and after chewing the gums. Post-hoc test and one-way ANOVA was done to find out the statistical significance (p<0.05) in plaque reduction within and between the groups. Result: The mean QHPT prior to chewing for Group 1 (Protex) was 2.9 and for Group 2 (Orbit) was 2.99. After twenty minutes of chewing the gums the QHPI for Group 1 (Protex) were 2.4 and for Group 2 (Orbit) were 2.6. The mean QHPI prior to chewing for two control groups were 2.29 and 2.32. After twenty minutes of chewing mean QHPT was 2.32 and 2.23 respectively. The mean reduction in plaque score between and within the group were statistically significant based on post hoc and one way AN OVA test. Conclusion: The efficiency of plaque reduction in Protex and orbit sugar free chewing gums is 2 to 4 times more when compared to sugared chewing gums. Sugar free chewing gum containing xylitol is more efficient in reducing plaque accumulation when compared to sugared chewing gums.