Chewing Gum: the Good, the Bad & the Ugly

Abstract

The global market for chewing gum is approximately 13 lac tonnes per year representing almost a US 19 billion dollar industry, meriting heavy media and print promotion by the gum manufacturing industry. Chewing gum has almost as long a history as the mankind itself. Chewing gums have been marketed for a variety of benefits such as an adjunctive,oral hygiene aid, for smoking cessation and as a preventive option for various dental problems like plaque accumulation, gingivitis, caries etc. The medicinal uses of chewing gum have also been realised in the last thirty years. The ease of administration and control of dosage makes it a potent drug delivery system. Consequently, chewing gums have seen changes in their components over a period of time with many active ingredients being added to exploit this potential. Effects of various therapeutic substances in chewing gums have been studied over the last few decades. This review aims to compare the benefits and drawbacks of chewing gum to provide an objective insight from a neutral perspective.