Chewing gum can be helpful for your teeth but can also be harmful, well this depends on what type of gum you chew on. According to the American Dental Association (ADA) chewing sugarless gum can help clean your teeth especially after eating, but chewing gum containing sugar increases the chances of damaging your teeth. Although chewing gum can help you clean your teeth, there are some cases wherein it is not recommended, like when you have temporomandibular (TMJ) disorders or jaw pain, chewing gum should be avoided, chewing may add stress to your mandible joint and may worsen.
Here are some effects of chewing gum on your oral health:
- Chewing gum with sugar content
Sweeteners commonly used in chewing gum is sucrose, which can be easily processed by bacteria that generate acid which leads to dental caries.
- Sugar-free Chewing Gum
Uses high concentration sweeteners such as aspartame, neotame saccharin, or stevia to name a few, they also may be able to use sugar alcohol like mannitol, isomalt, sorbitol, and the like. These types of sweeteners may be metabolized slowly or not at all by plaque bacteria, these sweeteners are considered by the FDA as nutritive sweeteners because of the low-calorie content compared to sugar.
- Saliva volume
Chewing gums stimulates saliva flow more than the normal flow rate which neutralizes acids that causes tooth decay. The flavors in gum also act as stimulants making the salivary flow rate significantly greater when chewing sweetened gum compared to unsweetened gum, more saliva flow clears out the teeth before the bacteria can metabolize it.
- Other effects
· Chewing gum can also help in clearing the esophagus due to the increased flow of saliva and swallowing.
· Chewing gum may also treat dry mouth symptoms because of the increase in saliva flow but does not have a long-term effect.
- Is chewing gum a substitute for brushing and flossing?
Flossing and brushing 2 times daily is highly recommended to maintain your oral hygiene, chewing gum is another accessory to brushing and cannot be a substitute for brushing and flossing.
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