Increasing Hardness of Pellet Gum in Cold Weather and Tooth Fracture

There have been anecdotal reports of tooth fractures while chewing pellet types of gum. The aim of the present study was to observe the change in compressive strength of pellet type gum according to storage temperature. Forty pieces each of ten kinds of pellet type gum were divided according to storage temperature into control (18°C) and experimental (-5°C) groups. Maximum compressive strengths were measured with a metal jig and a natural maxillary first molar as the antagonists. The values were compared using independent t-tests. There were significant differences in maximum compressive strength between the experimental and control groups for all brands of pellet gum. A comparison between the jig and the tooth antagonists revealed that the compressive strength recorded by the tooth was generally higher. Pellet type gum stored in the cold environment showed increased compressive strength, therefore caution should be exercised when chewing gum stored at cold temperatures.