The Journal of the American Dental Association
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J Am Dent Assoc, Vol 139, No 7, 887.
© 2008 American Dental Association
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LETTERS

Author’s response

I would like to thank Dr. Connell for reading the supplement; it makes the effort worthwhile. The basis for chewing gum affecting muscle action and blood flow resides in the possibility that the motor function can affect certain central and peripheral neurotransmitters. That possibility has been established in the published literature.1–5

Speculation broadens the scope of science and considers mechanisms not usually discussed in linear thought, provided there is some scientific basis. Many of the statements made in the article are currently under investigation by departments of psychiatry, and are not viewed as "outer-limit thoughts." My speculation in the article is bounded by my next-to-last sentence in which I state that "the difficulty is in designing studies to capture the subtle additive effects of gum chewing."


   REFERENCES
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  1. Olsson KA, Sasamoto K, Lund JP. Modulation of transmission in rostral trigeminal sensory nuclei during chewing. J Neurophysiol 1986;55(1):56–75.[Abstract/Free Full Text]

  2. Andresen MC, Kunze DL. Nucleus tractus solitarius: gateway to neural circulatory control. Annu Rev Physiol 1994;56:93–116.[Medline]

  3. Mohri Y, Fumoto M, Sato-Suzuki I, Umino M, Arita H. Prolonged rhythmic gum chewing suppresses nociceptive response via serotonergic descending inhibitory pathway in humans. Pain 2005;118(1–2):35–42.[Medline]

  4. Watanabe RP, Ishiyama N, Senda M. Cerebral blood flow during mastication measures with positron emission tomography. Geriatric Dent 1992;6:148–150.

  5. Onozuka M, Fujita M, Watanabe K, et al. Age-related changes in brain regional activity during chewing: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study. J Dent Res 2003;82(8):657–660.[Abstract/Free Full Text]



Frederick A. Curro, DMD, PhD, Clinical Professor
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Radiology and Medicine and Director of Pharmacotherapeutic Research Bluestone Center for Clinical Research College of Dentistry New York University, New York City



This Article
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