The Benefits of Chewing Sugarless Gum

Habits can be good or bad. Whether you believe gum chewing was bad or not, it has been around a long time and is popular. In ancient times, people used tree sap as chewing gum. In modern times, chemists have improved the recipe with elastomers, resins, waxes, and many different flavors.

Today, many people have the belief that gum is more of a type of candy and may not think of it in terms of a helpful dental product. After all, everybody knows that sugar is harmful to teeth, right? Believe it or not, your dentist would advise you to chew sugarless gum as part of your routine of dental health. It’s true! Sugarless gum has been approved by dentists as a valuable tool in protecting teeth. Here’s how:

Your saliva helps keep your mouth moistened. Saliva is triggered when we eat, allowing us to break down, wash away, and more easily swallow food. Saliva is also a neutralizing agent against acids that erode tooth enamel. Stimulating saliva flow is a good thing, and chewing gum does this.

Chewing gum fights tooth decay by increasing the saliva that decreases the acids, sugars, and bacteria in your mouth. A European study showed that chewing sugarless gum along with regular use of fluoride toothpaste reduced cavities in 5th graders by 42 percent, as compared to the control group that did not chew sugarless gum.

If you want more information about how sugarless gum can benefit you or would like other tips on maintaining your oral health, Dr. Sam Cigno will be happy to see you. You can call Bellefontaine Family Dental to make an appointment at: 314-741-5133, or come by our office in St. Louis, Missouri.