Chewing Gum as a Therapeutic Intervention for the Management of Hypersalivation

Psychiatric disorders often require specific treatments, usually involving medications called psychotropic drugs. While effective, these medications can cause significant side effects. One of the most common is hypersalivation (excess saliva), which can make swallowing difficult and be very uncomfortable in daily life. Current medication-based solutions are often not very effective and may cause additional side effects. For this reason, we are exploring a different approach: using chewing gum as a form of rehabilitation. The goal of this study is to determine whether chewing gum can help reduce excessive saliva. To do this, we will compare two groups: one that will follow a swallowing rehabilitation program including chewing gum, and another that will not. We hope this simple, non-drug-based approach will improve the management of hypersalivation. More broadly, this research aims to highlight innovative and accessible solutions in psychiatry, showing that alternative strategies-sometimes very simple ones-can also be effective.