ABSTRAK
Up to present, plaque control is the most effective method to maintain oral hygiene. Using chewing gum after eating food and snacks can stimulate saliva, promote remineralization and reduce potential dental plaque. To know whether using chewing gum can reduce plaque index as good as toothbrushing, thus an experimental study was performed. Sample was the first grade of junior high school students. After selection according to the requirements, the sample size was 35 students. Each sample got two different treatments. In the first day, they used chewing gum and the next day they were instructed to brush their teeth. Before and after using chewing gum and toothbrushing their dental plaque was scored. The mean of plaque score before using chewing gum was 2.24 and after using chewing gum was 1.28, statistically there was a significant difference (t=33; df=34; p,0.001). The mean of plaque score before toothbrushing was 2.26 and after toothbrushing 1.10, statistically there was a significant difference. Using chewing gum and toothbrushing can reduce plaque score, though the reduction of plaque score by toothbrushing was greater compared with using chewing gum.