Over the years, there have been intense debates on whether chewing gum can prevent tooth decay or whether it is among the causes of tooth decay. Maybe the confusion about the real dental value of chewing gum stems from the existence of their different categories. Chewing gums are often classified into sugar-free or sugar-containing and medicated or non-medicated chewing gums.
The History of Chewing Gums
Chewing gum has been a part of human dentistry for a long time. Archaeologists discovered lumps of birch bark tar in an archeological site in Sweden that had tooth impressions of children and adolescents. The discovery was believed to date back to more than 10,000 years ago.
The ancient Greeks chewed a substance called mastic. Indians and Native Americans also chewed gum from spruce trees. There are endless historical accounts of humans using gum for dental solutions.
The Oral Benefits of Chewing Gum
There is evidence showing that using sugar-free chewing gum can reduce the risk of dental caries. However, chewing gum should not become the only way to maintain your oral hygiene, and you should brush your teeth twice daily, use fluoride toothpaste, and floss at least once daily.
Chewing gum can help prevent tooth decay in a number of ways. Chewing gum after meals increases the flow of saliva by stimulating mechanical and taste receptors in the mouth by about 10–12 times higher than when you do not chew gum.
The increase in the volume of saliva in the mouth helps to dilute and neutralize acids produced by bacteria in the plaque on the teeth. Therefore, chewing gum after meals stimulates saliva flow, which then protects against dental caries. The saliva produced in the mouth contains calcium and phosphate ions, which ultimately contribute to remineralization of the tooth enamel.
Saliva also contains fluoride that helps replace enamel components such as carbonate and magnesium with stronger, caries-resistant fluorapatite crystals. The saliva then acts as a buffer between the acids contained in the foods and drinks we take, and swallowing that saliva created during the gum-chewing process also helps clear the acid.
How to Choose the Right Chewing Gum
The benefits of chewing gum strongly depend on the type of chewing gum you choose. Here are some tips that can help you choose a tooth-friendly chewing gum.
1. A Chewing Gum That Has Saliva-Stimulating Flavors
Chewing gums that are known to help prevent tooth decay do not share the same qualities. Some have flavors that stimulate saliva production more than others. Chewing gums that have watermelon, strawberry, and apple flavors are known to increase saliva production.
Many people tend to prefer cinnamon-flavored or traditional mint-flavored, which are also a great choice when seeking chewing gums that can help prevent tooth decay. Specifically, mint-flavored and cinnamon-flavored chewing gums also come with the advantage of lowering the acidity in the mouth compared to fruit-flavored chewing gums.
2. Do Not Choose Gums that Contain Citric Acid
When choosing chewing gums to enhance the health of your gums, choose those that do not contain citric acid. Chewing gums that contain citric acid are not good for your oral health, even when they are sugar-free.
Citric acid is known to increase acidity in your entire mouth, which increases the chance of increasing the presence of cavity-causing bacteria in your mouth. Therefore, any chewing gum that contains citric acid can cause extensive erosion in the tooth enamel, and it is bad if you chew these types of gums regularly.
3. Find Chewing Gums That Contain Sugar Substitutes That Kill Bacteria
Manufacturers use different flavors, some of which contain sugar substitutes. Many sugar-free chewing gums are sweetened using sorbitol and maltitol, which do not contribute to tooth decay.
Other sugar-free chewing gums contain erythritol or xylitol, and they offer additional dental benefits compared to those that contain common sugar substitutes. Specifically, chewing gums that contain xylitol prevent tooth decay by causing oral bacteria to consume xylitol in the same way they consume sugar.
Seek Help From Professionals for Tooth Decay
Chewing sugar-free gum can help prevent tooth decay. However, you should not rely solely on chewing gums. Oral hygiene habits are most important. Regular visits to dentists are also recommended, and our dentists at Guzaitis Dental Group are ready to examine your teeth and determine any presence of tooth decay before it gets worse.