SAN FRANCISCO, CA—(Marketwire - Jul 31, 2012)—SPRIM, a consulting firm and clinical research organization that partners with life science companies, announced today the publication of a clinical study in Caries Research on the relationship between gum-chewing habits and oral health.

SPRIM, in collaboration with the Wrigley Company and the Affiliated Stomatology Hospital of Tongji University (Shanghai, China), conducted a prospective, cross-sectional study in 191 adults aged 18 to 65 years to determine the relationship between gum chewing habits and oral health. All subjects reported their gum- chewing habits on a standard questionnaire and underwent a series of oral health tests, including unstimulated salivary flow rate, salivary pH, and caries severity. 

The study results demonstrated that older adults had a lower unstimulated salivary flow rate, which is a known risk factor for caries development. More importantly, the authors reported that frequent gum chewing was associated with higher salivary flow rates and lower caries severity.

Professor XiaoPing Wang, professor at the Affiliated Stomatology Hospital of Tongji University and the principal study investigator, said, "Gum chewing on more days per week had a consistent relationship with elevated unstimulated salivary flow rate and lower caries severity."

Dr. Larry Miller of SPRIM, a coauthor of the study, said, "The results of this study provide strong evidence that frequent gum chewing may improve oral health by increasing salivary flow, particularly in the elderly, who are especially prone to lower saliva production."