Approximately 20% of the population suffers from sensitive teeth at some point in life. This considerably large group of people experience a painful discomfort that is triggered each time their teeth are exposed to; hot, cold, sweet or sour foods & beverages, even the mere act of breathing in cold air can trigger a discomfort. The painful discomfort is usually described as being sharp, sudden and shoots deeply into the nerve endings. The occurrence of sensitive teeth is present when receding gum tissue exposes the underlying layer of one’s teeth (the dentin layer). The exposed roots, not covered by protective enamel, contain thousands of microscopic tubules, all connected to that tooth’s nerve center. Thus, when hot, cold, sweet or sour stimuli reach the nerve endings, the resulting experience is pain.
Products that address this specific problem include toothpaste and mouthwash containing various active ingredients. Since chewing gum by itself is great way to maintain a good oral hygiene, the decision to look at a sensitive teeth chewing gum concept was easy. One of the primary advantages of chewing gum, especially Gumlink’s patented Bi-layered compressed gum (click here for more information) is that active ingredients can be released in an efficient way. This efficient release can be broken down into two aspects. First of all, the patented Bi-layered chewing gum provides a high release rate (90%-100%), which in comparison to regular chewing gum is better. This is due to the powder base from which it is made, and also the dry and cold manufacturing process. Secondly, when active ingredients are delivered through chewing gum, they can be delivered slowly during the entire chewing period, enabling a constant and local distribution to the affected area. Compared to toothpaste and mouthwash, chewing gum also provides an element of convenience, as it is something that can be consumed anywhere, anytime and without water. Although a sensitive teeth chewing gum concept could not replace brushing and rinsing it would however, be a perfect supplement in between, during the day.
The purpose of the clinical study was to investigate the effect of chewing gum containing calcium carbonate or potassium chloride on pain discomfort when suffering from sensitive teeth. 50 participants took part in the study, and were instructed to chew two pieces of gum 3 times daily. The participants were divided into groups, where each group was given either chewing gum with one of the active ingredients or a placebo. The amount of pain relieved was measured on scale of 0 to 10, and was determined by the amount of pain felt when a concentrated puff of air was blown onto the affected teeth. Measurements were made before and after the treatment period of 4 weeks.
The primary result of the study shows that a statistical significance is present with chewing gum containing calcium carbonate or potassium chloride compared to a placebo chewing gum. The actual pain relief observed was 4 times that of the placebo. Thus, according to the study, it can be concluded that either calcium carbonate or potassium chloride can be used to reduce pain from sensitive teeth.