Effects of Hard Gum Chewing on Facial Soft Tissue Morphology

Conditions

• Face

Eligibility Criteria

Sex

ALL

Age

20 Years - 40 Years

Healthy Volunteers

Not accepted

Interventions

• Hard Gum Chewing — BEHAVIORAL
  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.

Study Details

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.

Key Dates

First listed

Jul 24, 2026

Start date

Jun 3, 2026

Status verified

Jul 2026

Primary completion

Jun 30, 2028

Completion

Jun 30, 2028

Study Design

Enrollment

20 participants (estimated)

Allocation

NA

Intervention model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

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.

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

• Flavio Uribe (Chair, Depto Orthodontics; UConn School of dental medic
  860-679-3170
  [email protected]
• Georgiana Defilio
  (860) 679-2550
  [email protected]

Locations (1)

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