Chewing gum helps clean your teeth
Clinical studies generally support the idea that sugar-free and xylitol-containing chewing gums can help reduce plaque accumulation and prevent dental caries by stimulating salivary flow and lowering oral acidity, though some individual trials find limited direct effects compared to specialized rinses.
The claim that chewing gum helps clean teeth is specific, falsifiable, and well-studied. Multiple clinical trials and long-term studies (papers 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8) indicate that sugar-free and xylitol chewing gums stimulate salivary flow, reduce plaque accumulation, and lower caries risk. While one recent study (paper 7) found no significant plaque reduction compared to a green tea mouthrinse, the preponderance of evidence strongly supports the beneficial role of chewing gum in oral health and plaque management.
O. Aguirre-Zero, D.T. Zero, H.M. Proskin. Effect of Chewing Xylitol Chewing Gum on Salivary Flow Rate and the Acidogenic Potential of Dental Plaque. 2009. https://doi.org/10.1159/000261516
Xylitol chewing gum reduced the acidogenic potential of dental plaque compared to controls.
S. H, Ayushi Mishra, A. K., Jayashree M. Biradar, Anjali Verma. A Clinical Comparison of Green Tea Mouthrinse and a Xylitol Containing Chewing Gum in Managing Dental Plaque. 2025. https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/25dec143
A crossover clinical trial found no statistically significant reductions in plaque or gingival indices for the xylitol chewing gum group.
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P. Isogangas, K.K. Mäkinen, J. Tiekso, P. Alanen. Long-Term Effect of Xylitol Chewing Gum in the Prevention of Dental Caries: A Follow-Up 5 Years after Termination of a Prevention Program. 2009. https://doi.org/10.1159/000261587
Long-term use of xylitol chewing gum led to lower caries scores and helped prevent dental cavities.
P. Isokangas, J. Tenovuo, E. Söderling, H. Männistö, K.K. Mäkinen. Dental Caries and Mutans Streptococci in the Proximal Areas of Molars Affected by the Habitual Use of Xylitol Chewing Gum. 2009. https://doi.org/10.1159/000261408
Habitual consumption of xylitol gum was associated with lower mutans streptococci and decreased proximal caries.
Johanna Weber, K. J. Scholz, Isabelle M. Schenke, Florian Pfab, F. Cieplik, K. Hiller, W. Buchalla, Camilla Sahm, Christian Kirschneck, E. Paddenberg-Schubert. Randomized controlled clinical trial on the efficacy of a novel antimicrobial chewing gum in reducing plaque and gingivitis in adolescent orthodontic patients. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00784-024-05669-4
Chewing gum without antimicrobial ingredients effectively helped decrease plaque accumulation and gingival inflammation.
Morteza Shakhsi Niaee, M. Hedayatipanah, P. Torkzaban, T. Mohammadi. A chewing gum containing ethylenediaminetetraaceticacid (EDTA), methyl sulfonyl methane (MSM) and xylitol works comparable to chlorehexidine mouthrinse. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-79551-4
A novel chewing gum formulation showed effective results in dental plaque control comparable to chlorhexidine mouthwash.
Samrudhi Khondalay, Richa Gautam, J. Ghosh, Sonika, Amit, Kishor Patil. Effect of Sugar-Free Chewing Gum on Salivary Flow Rate and Dental Plaque Levels: An Observational Study. 2026. https://doi.org/10.48165/ajm.2026.9.01.10
Sugar-free chewing gum significantly increased stimulated salivary flow rates and led to a reduction in plaque scores.
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