Chewing gum, stress and the occurrence of aphthous stomatitis among university students

Abstract

Canker sores (recurrent aphthous stomatitis) are small, shallow painful oral ulcers that develop on the soft tissue inside the mouth. While the exact cause remains unclear, one of the triggered factors is stress. Chewing gum, on the other hand, is considered a popular habit among university students. It’s a way to cope with stress. This study aimed to find out if the consumption of chewing gum among university students as a way to overcome stress could play an indirect role in decreasing the frequency of aphthous stomatitis.

METHODS: An online Google form questionnaire shared through email and social media platforms targeting undergraduate university students.

RESULTS: 906 students (age ranges from 18 to 25) responded to the questionnaire. 63.8 % of students experience daily stress and 53.6% of them complained of study-related stress. However, more than half of the students used chewing gum daily or several times during the week, and 70% of them feel that chewing gum help to reduce stress level. On the other hand, 62.7% of university students have been diagnosed with aphthous stomatitis, with an increased frequency during exam periods. The Spearman correlation coefficient exposed, a negative high significant correlation between chewing gum consumption and frequency of both aphthous stomatitis (-0.114) and stress (-0.239).

CONCLUSIONS: University life is a stressful environment and students should be aware of the potential connection between stress and the occurrence of aphthous stomatitis. Using chewing gum as a stress distraction technique, students can minimize the likelihood of developing a painful canker sore.