Journal of Dental Research, Vol 67, 531-535, Copyright © 1988 by International & American Associations for Dental Research Online Journals

ARTICLES

Effect of chewing gum containing sodium bicarbonate on human interproximal plaque pH

K. Igarashi, I. K. Lee and C. F. Schachtele
Oral Microbiology Program, School of Dentistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455.

The effect of chewing sorbitol gum containing sodium bicarbonate on interproximal plaque pH was determined by use of an ion-sensitive field-effect transistor (ISFET) electrode system with four human volunteers. Plaque pH was lowered by 2 min of chewing of a sucrose-containing toffee. After 20 min, either sodium bicarbonate or control gum was chewed for 10 min, and the pH was followed for an additional 20 min. The minimum pH after toffee chewing was elevated by both the control gum (4.5 +/- 0.3 to 5.2 +/- 0.5) and the sodium-bicarbonate-containing product (4.3 +/- 0.3 to 6.1 +/- 0.6) to levels which were significantly different (p less than 0.01). The rate of rise in pH was 2.6 times faster with the gum containing buffer compared with the control gum. In comparison with the control gum, the sodium bicarbonate gum caused the pH to remain at a higher level, approximately 0.5 pH units, for 20 min after gum chewing. The addition of sodium bicarbonate to gum containing sorbitol markedly enhanced its capacity to cause and maintain an elevation of interproximal plaque pH previously lowered by exposure to fermentable carbohydrate. Sodium bicarbonate may be useful in products designed to reduce the acidogenic challenge to the teeth following food ingestion.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				K. A. Ly, P. Milgrom, and M. Rothen The Potential of Dental-Protective Chewing Gum in Oral Health Interventions J Am Dent Assoc, May 1, 2008; 139(5): 553 - 563. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Imfeld Chewing Gum--Facts and Fiction: a Review of Gum-Chewing and Oral Health Critical Reviews in Oral Biology & Medicine, January 1, 1999; 10(3): 405 - 419. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L.M.D. Macpherson, W.-Y. Chen, and C. Dawes Effects of Salivary Bicarbonate Content and Film Velocity on pH Changes in an Artificial Plaque Containing Streptococcus oralis, After Exposure to Sucrose Journal of Dental Research, September 1, 1991; 70(9): 1235 - 1238. [Abstract] [PDF]