Gum chewing (sugar-free) vs No chewing gum: Salivary flow rate (unstimulated)
- Population
- Elderly (>60 years) and medically compromised adults with xerostomia / dry mouth
- Intervention
- Gum chewing (sugar-free)
- Comparison
- No chewing gum
- Outcome
- Salivary flow rate (unstimulated)
In elderly and medically compromised people with xerostomia, chewing sugar-free gum daily for two or more weeks produces a small but statistically significant increase in unstimulated whole salivary flow rate versus no gum (SMD 0.44, 95% CI 0.22 to 0.66); certainty of evidence was not formally graded.
What each review found
Include earlier review versions| Finding | Effect | Studies | GRADE certainty |
|---|---|---|---|
Gum chewing (sugar-free) vs No gum chewing (control) Unstimulated whole salivary flow rate · Elderly (>60 years) and medically compromised adults with xerostomia / dry mouth · Gum chewed daily for >=2 weeks (2 to 12 weeks; multiple time points for Kim and Ozen), Haemodialysis units, elderly / geriatric care, cancer and palliative care, and xerostomia / hyposalivation clinics (studies from multiple countries) In elderly and medically compromised people with xerostomia, chewing sugar-free gum daily for two or more weeks produces a small but statistically significant increase in unstimulated whole salivary flow rate versus no gum (SMD 0.44, 95% CI 0.22 to 0.66); certainty of evidence was not formally graded. The effect of gum chewing on xerostomia and salivary flow rate in elderly and medically compromised… (2023) All outcomes | SMD 0.44 [0.22, 0.66] | 6 studies · 291 participants | GRADE not reported |
Findings are shown side by side, never pooled across reviews.
The reviews
| Review | Searched up to | Included studies | AMSTAR 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| The effect of gum chewing on xerostomia and salivary flow rate in elderly and medically compromised subjects: a systematic review and… 2023 All outcomes | 31 March 2023 | 26 | Low / Low |
Studies behind the findings
The primary studies the full-text reviews tie to this outcome. Reviews with headline outcomes only do not list them here.
- Simple oral exercise with chewing gum for improving oral function in older adults · 2020 · included by 1 of these review
- The effect of chewing gum on dry mouth, interdialytic weight gain, and intradialytic symptoms: A prospective, randomized controlled trial · 2020 · included by 1 of these review
- Study on the Clinical Significance and Related Factors of Thirst and Xerostomia in Maintenance Hemodialysis Patients · 2013 · included by 1 of these review
- Chewing gum and a saliva substitute alleviate thirst and xerostomia in patients on haemodialysis · 2005 · included by 1 of these review
- Comparison between saliva stimulants and a saliva substitute in patients with xerostomia and hyposalivation · 1998 · included by 1 of these review
- Salivary stimulation by chewing gum and lozenges in rheumatic patients with xerostomia · 1993 · included by 1 of these review
How reviews are matched to this question
Reviews word the same question differently. Four decision models (TypeSafe's Jev, Liquid AI's d1-ultra, SubQ Snap and Baseten's Elephant) judged each wording of the population, intervention, comparator and outcome against the others; two wordings count as the same when at least three of them agree and none clearly disagrees, and findings count as this question only when all four elements match. Timing, setting and subgroup never split a question: they are shown on each finding.