Recruiting

Chewing Gum

Sponsor:

UConn Health

Code:

NCT07726511

Conditions

Face

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 20 - 40

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Hard Gum Chewing

Study Details

Brief summary:

This pilot clinical trial will evaluate whether intentional chewing of a standardized hard chewing gum for 4 weeks produces measurable changes in facial morphology in healthy adults. Twenty participants aged 20-40 years will undergo three-dimensional facial imaging (3dMD) at baseline (T0), after the 4-week chewing intervention (T1), and following a 4-5-week washout period (T2). Changes in facial soft-tissue morphology will be assessed using three-dimensional surface analysis, including heatmaps, regional surface displacement, and morphometric measurements. Secondary outcomes include self-reported muscle fatigue, soreness, adherence, and temporomandibular disorder (TMD) symptoms.

Conditions

Face

Study ID

NCT07726511

Start date

Jun 3, 2026

Status verified date

Jul, 2026

Completion date

Jun 30, 2028

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Jun 30, 2028

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 20 - 40

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Healthy, non-smoking adults.
  • Age 20 to 40 years.
  • Presence of a full dentition from central incisor to first molar in all four quadrants, excluding second molars.
  • Stable occlusion with no ongoing orthodontic treatment or myofunctional therapy.
  • Ability and willingness to comply with the prescribed hard-gum chewing regimen for 4 weeks and attend all study visits.
  • Ability to provide written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Age younger than 20 years or older than 40 years.
  • Evident facial asymmetry from a frontal view.
  • Signs or symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) according to the Diagnostic Criteria for TMD (DC/TMD).
  • Less than the normal range of condylar motion during maximum opening and closing.
  • Parafunctional habits such as bruxism with pain, clenching, or habitual gum chewing for more than 1 hour per day.
  • History of major craniofacial trauma, orthognathic surgery, or congenital craniofacial anomalies.
  • Ongoing orthodontic treatment or recent removal of fixed appliances (<6 months).
  • Significant malocclusion or missing teeth in the anterior or premolar-first molar region that may affect mastication.
  • Systemic diseases or medications affecting muscle or bone metabolism.
  • Previous use of botulinum toxin (Botox) within the last 6 months or anticipated use during the study period.
  • Pregnancy or lactation.
  • Allergy or intolerance to the chewing gum ingredients.

Study Design

Enrollment

20 participants

Anticipated

Intervention Model

Single group

Primary purpose

Basic Science

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Hard Gum Chewing Intervention

Participants will perform a standardized hard-gum chewing protocol every other day for 4 weeks. Each session will last approximately 16 minutes and will follow a predefined chewing regimen. Three-dimensional facial images (3dMD) will be obtained at baseline (T0), immediately after the intervention period (T1), and after a 4-5-week washout period (T2) to evaluate changes in facial morphology.

Interventions

Hard Gum Chewing

Participants will chew a standardized hard chewing gum (Jawliner®, hard hardness level) every other day for 4 weeks. Each session will consist of two 8-minute chewing blocks following a standardized protocol with controlled chewing pace, progressive force application, and alternating chewing sides. Total chewing time per session will be approximately 16 minutes.

Primary outcome measure

  • Changes in Facial Morphology Assessed by 3dMD Stereophotogrammetry [ Time Frame: Baseline (T0), Post-Intervention (T1, 4-5 weeks), and Washout (T2, 8-9 weeks) ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Flavio Uribe (Chair, Depto Orthodontics; UConn School of dental medic

860-679-3170furibe@uchc.edu

Georgiana Defilio

(860) 679-2550GEDEFILIO@uchc.edu

Locations

UConn Health

Recruiting

Farmington, Connecticut, United States, 06030

More Information

Sponsor

UConn Health

Last update posted

Jul 24, 2026

Last verified

Jul, 2026

Keywords

  • Hard Gum Chewing
  • Facial Morphology
  • 3dMD
  • Stereophotogrammetry
  • Facial Soft Tissue
  • Heatmap Analysis
  • Chewing Gum
  • Masticatory Muscles
  • Three-Dimensional Imaging
  • Surface Distance Mapping

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by UConn Health on 2026-07-24.