Greater use of sugar-free gum ‘could result in reduced dental expenditure’

Increasing consumption of sugar-free chewing gum could help to significantly reduce the amount spent on dental treatment worldwide.

This is according to a new study funded by Wrigley and conducted by the Institute of Empirical Health Economics, which adds to the body of evidence suggesting that sugar-free gum can offer substantial oral care benefits.

It was estimated that if current consumers of sugar-free gum chewed one extra piece per day as part of a complete oral hygiene routine, global dental expenditures from treating tooth decay could be reduced by $4.1 billion (3.15 billion pounds) a year.

In the US alone, savings would total $2.07 billion a year – representing nearly three percent of spending on tooth decay treatment – while the figures could be as high as $1.1 billion a year in Europe and $149 million a year in China.

Study leader Professor Reinhard Rychlik, director of the Institute of Empirical Health Economics, said: "Chewing sugar-free gum as a preventive measure for tooth decay has the potential to deliver significant dental care cost savings worldwide."

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