Oral Function Improved in Approx. 60% of Kindergarteners! 1,093 Children Across 54 Schools in Yamaguchi Prefecture Undergo Bubble Gum Training

Lotte Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, President and CEO: Hideki Nakajima), in collaboration with the Yamaguchi Prefectural Dental Association (Chairman: Shigeyuki Koyama), with whom they concluded a partnership agreement for the 'Healthy Mouth Smile Promotion Project' in fiscal 2023, conducted a bubble gum training program at kindergartens for two months starting in October 2025. The program targeted 1,093 senior kindergarteners across 54 schools in Yamaguchi Prefecture to improve oral functions. Following this initiative, a questionnaire survey was conducted among parents and teachers regarding the development of chewing ability through the training, improvements in open-mouth habits, chewing sounds during meals, and snoring, as well as satisfaction with the program.

■ Training Confirmed Improvements in Open-Mouth Habits, Chewing Sounds, and Snoring!

State of the bubble gum training

Each kindergartener underwent bubble gum training for two months. Using Xylitol chewing check gum (*1), which can confirm whether one is chewing properly before and after the training, it was found that the improvement rate over the two months was 59% (440 out of 748 children).

Additionally, according to a questionnaire survey of parents (408 responses), 44% of parents whose children had an 'open-mouth habit' before the training responded that it had 'improved' or 'somewhat improved'. Furthermore, the improvement rate for chewing sounds during meals was 52%, and for snoring during sleep, it was 47%.

(*1) Product website: https://www.oralcare.co.jp/product/xylitol-check-gum

Related website: https://www.oralcare.co.jp/manage/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/soshaku_sk.pdf

■ Highly Rated by Both Parents and Teachers! 93% Want to Continue the Training

Many positive comments were received from both parents and teachers, who felt the effects and noticed changes in awareness and behavior, resulting in high evaluations. When teachers were asked about their intention to continue, 93% answered that they would like to continue the training. The satisfaction rate with the implementation was also extremely high at 97%, and regarding changes in the children's awareness and behavior, 86% responded that there was a change.

■ Parent Comments (Changes in Awareness and Behavior) *Excerpts

- Became more conscious of chewing a lot.
- Smiling faces became even cuter from using facial muscles.
- Used to open their mouth slightly when concentrating, but now keeps it firmly closed.
- Improved awareness of brushing teeth. Now proactively brushes teeth before bed, even when sleepy.
- Slurping/smacking sounds during meals significantly decreased.

■ Teacher Comments (Satisfaction and Changes in Children) *Excerpts

- Increased awareness of chewing alongside the goal of wanting to blow a bubble.
- Can chew well during meals, and pronunciation has become easier to understand.
- Able to rejoice in a friend's success as their own.
- Started brushing their teeth thoroughly.
- Learned to close their mouth while chewing and not make noise.

Comment from Chairman Koyama, Yamaguchi Prefectural Dental Association:

Recently, due to changes in dietary habits, the number of children who cannot move their tongues well or chew hard foods properly is increasing. We also hear reports of a rapid increase in children unable to play the recorder due to weak lip strength. Therefore, we believe there is a need to provide appropriate information, guidance, and intervention regarding oral function from an early age. Based on the results of the demonstration experiment of bubble gum training conducted jointly with Lotte in this context, we introduced bubble gum training for senior kindergarteners in Yamaguchi Prefecture starting in 2023. This has shown improvements in chewing ability for many children and has prompted changes in awareness and behavior. We continued the initiative in 2025, with 1,093 senior kindergarteners from 54 schools participating this time. From this fiscal year, considering the ease of implementation at schools, we reduced the training frequency from twice a day to once a day. Nevertheless, the color change in the chewing check gum improved by 59% this year, following 55% last year. The intention to continue at schools also significantly increased from 72% to 93%, making it a much more manageable format. Based on these results, I once again strongly feel the potential of bubble gum training as something children can practice while having fun. We will continue to promote this project to encourage the healthy development of children's oral functions.

■ Overview of Bubble Gum Training Initiative

Information calling for participation in the bubble gum training initiative was sent to nursery schools, kindergartens, and certified children's centers in Yamaguchi Prefecture, along with explanatory materials on the methods/flow of the training and evidence of oral function improvement through bubble gum training, to promote healthy mouths.