Chewing gum and your teeth
Chewing gum and your teeth. Although gum is associated with good memories from your childhood, sweetened gums can cause bad effects on your teeth. Bacteria in your mouth feed off of sugar and weakens the enamel on your teeth and can cause cavities.
So is any gum good for your teeth? The answer is yes. Sugarless gum does not have the additives that regular gum has meaning bacteria can’t feed off of it. Chewing gum also produces saliva which defends against those bacteria that want to cause your teeth damage.
Clinical studies have shown that chewing sugarless gum for 20 minutes following meals can help prevent tooth decay.
The chewing of sugarless gum increases the flow of saliva, which washes away food and other debris, neutralizes acids produced by bacteria in the mouth, and provides disease-fighting substances throughout the mouth. Increased saliva flow also carries with it more calcium and phosphate to help strengthen tooth enamel.
Do not use gum as a replacement for oral hygiene though. While there might be that minty taste, it doesn’t clean your teeth as well as the teeth brushing and flossing habits you should have set in your routine.
Make the right decisions for your teeth and choose the sugarless choice.
Source: IS CHEWING GUM GOOD OR BAD FOR YOUR TEETH?