Efficacy of hard gummy candy chewing in improving masticatory function in Japanese children aged 6-12 years: A clinical trial.

Objectives: Japanese children have been shown to exhibit decreased masticatory function; however, limited evidence is available regarding the efficacy of certain food items in improving this issue. Therefore, this study examined the effects of chewing hard gummy candy on the masticatory function of Japanese children aged 6-12 years.
Methods: The study included 26 participants (10 boys and 16 girls; mean age ± standard error = 9.3 ± 0.3 years) who were asked to chew hard gummy candy twice daily for 4 weeks at home. The lip-closing force, occlusal force, and masticatory performance of the participants were recorded before commencement (T1), 4 weeks after commencement (T2), and 4 weeks after completion (T3) of the training. Statistical analyses were performed using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test or the Wilcoxon signed-rank test with Bonferroni correction.
Results: No significant differences in masticatory function by gender and age groups (defined based on mean age at T1) were observed at T1. The lip-closing and right occlusal forces increased significantly after 4 weeks of exercise, and the effects persisted for another 4 weeks after completion. The masticatory performance also improved after training, although these effects did not persist and deteriorated substantially 4 weeks after completion of the training.
Conclusions: Habitual mastication training using hard gummy candy markedly enhances masticatory function (e.g., lip-closing force, occlusal force, and masticatory performance) in Japanese children.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors are required to disclose any COI within the period of 12 months prior to the submission of any manuscript in the subject matter of which any company, entity, or organization has an interest.The corresponding author is required to complete this form with information from all the authors listed in the manuscript.
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