Cinnamon chewing gum and mouth reactions
What it found
Cinnamon-flavoured chewing gum can cause allergic reactions in the mouth, most commonly contact stomatitis.
These reactions can look like other common mouth problems, which makes them hard to diagnose.
What they found
Studies in people
Mouth reactions from gum
Cinnamon-flavoured chewing gum can cause allergic reactions in the mouth. The most common is contact stomatitis, also called cinnamon contact stomatitis.
Signs mimic other problems
The signs and symptoms of these allergic reactions can look like other common mouth disorders. This makes it easy for doctors to misdiagnose them.
May be more common
Cinnamon contact stomatitis may be more widespread than people think. Its clinical features often lead to a wrong diagnosis.
Other findings
Need for clear diagnosis
The authors say there was no shared, evidence-based way to diagnose cinnamon contact stomatitis in the published literature. They proposed an algorithm to help with diagnosis.
Multiple specialists involved
Patients may see dentists, skin doctors or allergy specialists. The authors suggest these professionals should work together.
What the authors conclude
“Cinnamon-flavoured products (toothpaste, chewing gum, food, candy and mouthwash) can cause oral adverse reactions; among these, the most common is contact stomatitis (cinnamon contact stomatitis, CCS).”
Also in their conclusions
- They propose an algorithm to diagnose cinnamon contact stomatitis because the diagnostic approach in previous literature was not based on a harmonized and shared evidence-based procedure.
- They suggest a multidisciplinary approach since patients can refer to different specialists such as dentists, dermatologists and allergists.
How it was done
Cinnamon contact stomatitis may be more common than believed, and its signs can be mistaken for other oral disorders. The authors wanted to review these cases and suggest a clearer way to diagnose them.
The authors reviewed published case reports and case series of oral reactions caused by cinnamon-containing chewing gums. They looked at symptoms, diagnosis and management, and proposed a step-by-step approach for diagnosing cinnamon contact stomatitis.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This paper reviews case reports and case series, so it cannot show how often cinnamon chewing gum causes mouth reactions in the general population.
- It cannot prove that cinnamon chewing gum directly causes contact stomatitis in every case, only that the two have been linked in reported cases.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of Messina, Italy; Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Policlinico 'G. Martino', Italy
The paper
- Title
- Oral adverse reactions due to cinnamon-flavoured chewing gums consumption
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Calapai G, Miroddi M, Mannucci C, Minciullo P, Gangemi S (2014). Oral adverse reactions due to cinnamon-flavoured chewing gums consumption. Oral diseases. doi:10.1111/odi.12170PubMed 24004186DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error