Evaluation of a commercially available glyccyrhizaglabra flavored chewing gum for reducing dental plaque and gingivitis in diabetic patients

Purpose: Gingival inflammation in response to the accumulation of dental plaque is aggravated by systemic factors such as diabetes. In adults with type 2 diabetes, it may occur at higher rates than those in adults without diabetes. Many products have been researched to counter both inflammation and higher glucose levels, one such natural product is Glycyrrhizaglabra, also known as licorice and sweet wood which has many pharmaceutical properties such as anti-inflammatory, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-bacterial, anti-ulcer, anti-viral and anti-carcinogenic effects. Chewing gum has been used for centuries to clean the mouth and freshen the breath. Thus, in this study we are evaluating the use of flavored chewing gum as an adjunct to toothbrushing in diabetic patients. Materials and Method: 20 subjects with diagnosed with diabetes (FBS-125-140mg/dl) and chronic generalized gingivitis were included in this randomized, clinical study. Initial clinical parameters plaque and gingival index were assessed and baseline unstimulated saliva collected. After completion of scaling patients were randomized into control and test group. Test group patients were asked to chew gum twice daily after brushing for 2 min. Control group were asked to chew placebo gum twice daily after brushing for 2min. Clinical measurements were repeated at6 week interval. Results: There was a significant decrease in plaque and gingival index within each group and were insignificant when both the groups were compared (p>0.05). There was no change in unstimulated saliva both within the group and on intergroup comparison. Conclusion: Our results showed improvement in plaque score and gingival health when licorice was used along with tooth brushing. In future, higher concentrations or different concentrations of licorice in a long term study with larger sample size is required to ascertain the efficacy of glyccyrhiza or its extract in the treatment of gingival diseases.