Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Chewing gum, high in eucalyptus extract, 5 times per day for 12 weeks significantly improved plaque accumulation and gingivitis in the 32 participating subjects compared to control.

oral healthGingivitis is an inflammation of the gums due to bacterial infection (1), with more than half of U.S. adults having gingivitis in at least 3 to 4 teeth (2). Because brushing and flossing “are unable to completely remove plaque on all tooth surfaces” (3, 4), the use of mouthwash has increased (5). Conventional mouthwash, however, has been shown to impair tooth structure (6), leading to increased use of herbal mouthwash (7).

Now a new study (8) suggests that eucalyptus, known to have antibacterial (9) and anti-inflammatory (10) properties, may be effective for dental health as a gum. The study involved 97 subjects (58 men, 39 women) with an average age of 34. They received either “high-concentration” eucalyptus gum (0.6% eucalyptus extract = 32 subjects), a “low-concentration” eucalyptus gum (0.4% eucalyptus extract = 32 subjects), or a placebo gum (33 subjects) for 12 weeks. Before and after the study, dental examinations were performed to assess plaque accumulation (15), Gingival Index (14), clinical attachment level and probing depth.

Subjects were instructed to chew two tablets of gum for 5 minutes 5 times per day, giving the high-concentration group 90 milligrams per of eucalyptus extract and the low-concentration group 60 mg/day of eucalyptus extract. The gum was chewed immediately after the three main meals and at a time between meals at the subjects’ choosing.

After 12 weeks, the following was noted by the researchers:

High
concentration gum
Low
concentration gum
Placebop-value
Plaque Accumulation
(millimeters)
24.4% decrease
(1.86 to 1.37)
20% decrease
(1.90 to 1.52)
3.5% increase
(1.69 to 1.75)
< 0.05
Gingival Index43.4% decrease
(0.83 to 0.47)
33% decrease
(0.85 to 0.57)
6.25% decrease
(0.80 to 0.75)
< 0.05
Probing Depth (mm)4.6% decrease
(2.20 to 2.10)
3.2% decrease
(2.24 to 2.17)
0.9% increase
(2.21 to 2.23)
< 0.05
Clinical Attachment Level
(mm)
3.2% decrease
(2.25 to 2.18)
2.3% decrease
(2.26 to 2.21)
1.3% increase
(2.26 to 2.29)
< 0.05

For the researchers, “Eucalyptus extract chewing gum had a meaningful effect on plaque, gingivitis, and probing depth” and that “the daily use of eucalyptus extract chewing gum, this study provided evidence for its potential use as a new functional food for periodontal health distinct from toothpaste and mouthwash.”

Source: Tanaka M. Effect of eucalyptus-extract chewing gum on oral malodor: a double-masked, randomized trial. J Periodontol. 2010 Nov;81(11):1564-71. doi: 10.1902/jop.2010.100249. Epub 2010 Jul 1

© 2017 American Academy of Periodontology

Posted September 1, 2016.

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com.

References:

  1. P. Axelsson, Diagnosis and Risk Prediction of Periodontal Diseases, Quintessence Publishing Company, 2002
  2. R.C. Oliver, L.J. Brown, H. L€oe, Periodontal diseases in the United States population, J. Periodontol. 69 (1998) 269e278
  3. J. Lindhe, G. Koch, The effect of supervised oral hygiene on the gingivae of children, J. Periodontal Res. 2 (1967) 215e220
  4. J. Sowinski, D.M. Petrone, G.N. Wachs, P. Chaknis, J. Kemp, A.A. Sprosta, W. Devizio, Efficacy of three toothbrushes on established gingivitis and plaque, Am. J. Dent. 21 (2008) 339e345
  5. I. Gehlen, L. Netuschil, R. Berg, E. Reich, C. Katsaros, The influence of a 0.2% chlorhexidine mouthrinse on plaque regrowth in orthodontic patients. J. Orofac. Orthopedics/Fortschritte der Kieferorthop€adie 61 (2000) 54e62.
  6. N. Hiraishi, C. Yiu, N. King, F. Tay, Effect of 2% chlorhexidine on dentin microtensile bond strengths and nanoleakage of luting cements, J. Dent. 37 (2009) 440e448
  7. Mahyari S. Evaluation of the efficacy of a polyherbal mouthwash containing Zingiber officinale, Rosmarinus officinalis and Calendula officinalis extracts in patients with gingivitis: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial” in the February 2106 issue of Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2016 Feb;22:93-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2015.12.001. Epub 2015 Dec 10
  8. Tanaka M. Effect of eucalyptus-extract chewing gum on oral malodor: a double-masked, randomized trial. J Periodontol. 2010 Nov;81(11):1564-71. doi: 10.1902/jop.2010.100249. Epub 2010 Jul 1
  9. Tada M, Takakuwa M, Nagai M, Yoshii T. Antiviral and antimicrobial activity of 2, 4-diacylphloroglucinols, 2-acylcyclohexane-1, 3-diones and 2-carboxamidocyclohexane- 1, 3-diones. Agric Biol Chem 1990;54: 3061-3063
  10. Tada M, Chiba K, Yamada H,Maruyama H. Phloroglucinol derivatives as competitive inhibitors against thromboxane A2 and leukotriene D4 from Hypericum erectum. Phytochemistry 1991;30:2559-2562