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Effects of Hard Gum Chewing on Facial Soft Tissue Morphology

NCT07726511 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 20

Last updated 2026-07-24

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

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.

Conditions

  • Face

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Hard Gum Chewing

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.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Charles Burstone Foundation

    collaborator UNKNOWN

  • UConn Health

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Flavio Uribe · UConn School of dental medicine

  • Thais Fernandes Poleti, PhD · UConn School of dental medicine

Study Design

Allocation
NA
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Model
SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age
20 Years
Max Age
40 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-06-03
Primary Completion
2028-06-30
Completion
2028-06-30

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07726511 on ClinicalTrials.gov