COMPARISON OF ORAL HYGIENE STATUS FOLLOWING XYLITOL AND NON-XYLITOL CHEWING GUM USE AMONG STUDENTS OF SMP NEGERI 1 PADANG PARIAMAN

Abstract

Dental and oral health problems are among the most common health issues in the community, with dental caries being the most prevalent. Plaque accumulation is a major factor contributing to caries development. One effort to control plaque formation is chewing gum. This study aimed to determine differences in oral hygiene status, measured by the Plaque Index, between students who chewed xylitol gum and those who chewed non-xylitol gum among seventh-grade students of SMPN 01 V Koto Kampung Dalam, Padang Pariaman Regency. This quasi-experimental study used a pre-test and post-test design. The population consisted of 91 seventh-grade students, and 80 students who met the inclusion criteria were selected through total sampling. Data were collected using plaque index examinations and analyzed through univariate and bivariate methods with the Mann–Whitney U test. The results showed that the mean Plaque Index in the xylitol gum group decreased from 1.665 before treatment to 0.652 after treatment, with a mean reduction of 1.013. In the non-xylitol gum group, the mean Plaque Index decreased from 1.702 to 1.152, with a mean reduction of 0.550. These findings indicate that xylitol gum was more effective in improving oral hygiene status by reducing plaque accumulation than non-xylitol gum. In conclusion, chewing xylitol gum significantly improved oral hygiene status compared with non-xylitol gum. Students are encouraged to maintain oral hygiene and consider chewing xylitol gum for five minutes after meals, three to four times daily, as part of routine effective plaque control practices.