What do systematic reviews say?

Daily chewing gum for 2 weeks or longer vs No gum chewing or control

codex

• The effect of gum chewing on xerostomia and salivary flow rate in elderly and medically compromised subjects: a… 2023 All outcomes

  2 to 12 weeks · Meta-regression slope for change in standardized salivary flow rate per additional week of chewing · Meta-regression by chewing duration
  SMD per week 0.06
  6 studies · 291 participants
  GRADE not reported

V6 chewing gum / mucin chewing gum vs Placebo chewing gum

• Interventions for the management of dry mouth: topical therapies 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes
  Aagaard 1992 (crossover, n=43): approximately 50% of participants had an increase in unstimulated whole saliva from all products; unclear how many completed the trial; no usable data.
  1 study · 43 participants
  GRADE not reported

Gum chewing (sugar-free) vs No chewing gum

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 subjects: a… 2023 All outcomes

  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)
  SMD 0.44 [0.22, 0.66]
  6 studies · 291 participants
  GRADE not reported

Chewing gum vs Saliva substitute spray

Chewing gum (mechanical saliva stimulant) showed no clear difference in salivary flow (unstimulated whole saliva) compared with saliva substitute spray; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for the management of dry mouth: topical therapies 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes
  MD 0.01 [-0.01, 0.04]
  2 studies
  GRADE not reported