title: A randomized trial on the inhibitory effect of chewing gum containing tea polyphenol on caries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the study was to determine the cariostatic potential of a chewing gum containing tea polyphenol.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 157 schoolchildren aged 8-9 years were randomly allocated into three groups. Two groups received chewing gum with or without tea polyphenol. A third group did not receive any chewing gum. A single examiner assessed the caries status for all participates at baseline, 12 months and 24 months. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to evaluate differences among the groups at each interval The Chi-square test was used to compare the caries-free rate among the three groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean DMFT increment was 0.17 for the polyphenol gum group, 0.60 for the control gum group, and 1.15 for the no gum group. Children who chewed gum containing tea polyphenol had a significantly lower mean DMFS increment over the 24-month period than did the other two groups (p < 0.05). The caries-free rate in the polyphenol gum group was significantly higher than that in the other two groups (p < 0.05) after two years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicated that the oral application of chewing gum with tea polyphenol has an inhibitory effect on dental caries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai.
authors.forename: Dan-Ying
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai.
authors.forename: Chen-Bin
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Shu
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental Public Health, Faculty of Dentistry, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Edward Chin Man
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai.
authors.forename: Hai-Xia
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai.
authors.forename: Xi-Ping
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Feng
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002638:Chewing Gum; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002681:China; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D059808:Polyphenols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012571:School Dentistry; D013662:Tea / Q000737:chemistry; D014993:Xylitol / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D002638:Chewing Gum; D059808:Polyphenols; D013662:Tea; D014993:Xylitol