Chewable Tablets and Their Properties

Chewable tablets, which are first crushed between the teeth and then chewed, are primarily given to children who have difficulty swallowing and adults who dislike swallowing. These tablet forms break down with a smooth texture. Chewable tablets do not leave a bitter taste or an unwanted sensation when they disintegrate in the mouth.

For a good orally disintegrating tablet formulation, the preferred excipients must have appropriate disintegration and lubrication properties.

Both artificial and natural sweeteners are excipients of great importance in the production of chewable tablets to mask bad tastes and to facilitate dosing under appropriate usage conditions for pediatrics.

Chewable tablets are tablets with sweet properties that are swallowed by chewing with little or no water. Chewable tablets are produced in two different ways. These include production by wet granulation and tablet compression methods.

Who Uses Chewable Tablets?

Users who need chewable tablets are as follows;

Patients with difficulty swallowing (patients with dysphagia).
Pediatric and geriatric patients.
Traveling patients who do not have access to water.

Patients in this category are the ones who use chewable tablets the most.

What is the Composition of Chewable Tablets?

They consist of coated and uncoated gum cores. Generally, the core consists of tablet fillers, waxes, lubricating excipients, antioxidants, and sweeteners.

What Are the Advantages?

They provide greater bioavailability by increasing dissolution.
They are very suitable for pediatric recommendations thanks to their pleasant taste.
Users do not need water for swallowing. They are used in place of dosages administered in liquid form for rapid effect.
Faster absorption is achieved.

What Are the Disadvantages?

Sorbitol can cause diarrhea and bloating when used.
Disorders such as ulcers can occur in the mouth due to the sweeteners found in chewable tablets.
They must be stored in a dry place due to their hygroscopic properties. Therefore, they absorb moisture.
Tablets that require too much chewing cause jaw pain.
They have low strength, therefore they require care during use.
Packaging methods must be appropriate for the stabilization of these drugs.