It’s a concept to chew on, thanks to results from a recent study by Professor Lorenz Meinel and Dr. Jennifer Ritzer and her team in Bavaria, Germany.

A chewing gum based diagnostic test developed by a pharmaceutical research team at the Julius-Maximilians-Universität (JMU) Würzburg will allow patients to benefit from “a quick and affordable” assessment of bacteria in the mouth, according to ScienceDaily.com.

Who might benefit?

Any of the six to 15 percent of dental patients who develop an inflammatory response in the years after receiving an implant caused by bacteria destroying the soft tissue and the bone around the implant.

“In practice, the test works as follows: If there is an inflammation in the oral cavity, a bittering agent is released while chewing the gum. Patients can then visit their dentist who confirms the diagnosis and treats the disease. This type of early detection aims at preventing serious complications such as bone loss.”

Find out how the team in Bavaria plans to release the gum to market: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170816090040.htm