Chewing Gums - Promote Good Oral Health

A look at the different ways chewing gum can contribute to good oral health.

For years young children have been asked to stay away from chewing gum. It can cause problems if swallowed on a regular basis,

and there are always the constant battles of getting the stuff out of one’s hair. However, Chewing gum is not bad for the teeth. In fact, chewing gum on a regular basis can actually help promote good oral health.

When we chew, this makes the mouth produce saliva. This does a few things. Saliva helps to clean the teeth and remove debris from food. Saliva also helps the remineralization process that is so important for teeth. This helps to replace minerals that are lost in the tooth. As long as this is done quicker than they are lost then tooth decay will not occur. Chewing gum makes the act of chewing constant. This way even more saliva is produces than through normal eating making the cleaning and remineralization process even more effective.

The act of chewing itself actually helps to remove plaque from teeth and gums. This is highly useful in a variety of ways. It helps to reduce the staining that plaque can bring. It will help in keeping the amount of bacteria in the mouth low. It will prevent plaque from staying, turning into tartar or calculus deposits. Finally it will also help prevent gum diseases such as gingivitis.

There is evidence to support that those who chew gum on a regular basis tend to snack less between meals. This is also useful. Less snacking means less food particles floating around in the mouth. This of course means less plaque and the problems that it can bring. There is also evidence to support that chewing gum reduced the urge to smoke. Smokers who chew gum find it easier to cut down and eventually quit. Smoking is highly damaging to the teeth and mouth.

It can create stains that are very difficult to remove as well as lead to mouth ulcers can cancers.

Those who jump on board the chewing gum wagon on the ride to better oral health need to keep one thing in mind. Not every chewing gum is suitable for this purpose. Those that contain a high sugar content may do more harm than good. Remember, sugar is one of the leading causes of plaque. It is important that the gum you chew is either dental gum or sugar free. This way you will be giving your mouth the full benefits.

Too achieve the best possible results one should chew gum after eating meals. This is the time at which your teeth are most vulnerable. The extra saliva flow will help remove any remaining food particles that remain behind. It is also important to remember that chewing gum is not in any way a replacement for brushing and flossing. These two things still need to be practiced regularly. Gum will only help aid the process of cleaning not take it over entirely.

Many have asked the question, why has it taken until now to realize the benefits of chewing gum. The reasons are largely due to our change in eating habits. People tend to snack more between meals than before. This means an increase in the need for chewing gum. Our diets are made up more and more of refined foods with refined sugars. This is a leading cause of tooth decay and has now brought about the need for more tooth cleaning knowledge. Chewing gum itself is also quite convenient. It can be done anywhere where as we cannot always drop everything and give our teeth a good brush. The refined food that we are becoming more and more accustomed to also don’t require the amount of chewing that food from raw materials do. This means that the mouth isn’t creating the same amounts of saliva that it used to from regular eating. Again, chewing gum can help make up for that loss of saliva flow.

Finally, chewing gum can be particularly helpful to those that are elderly. Many people of advanced age start to suffer from what is called dry mouth. It is a condition that is associated with several medications. Dry mouth can cause, discomfort, bad breath and even tooth decay due to the reduced saliva flow. Chewing gum can help remedy this situation making their mouths cleaner, more comfortable and free of decay.

For several decades we have been warned away from chewing gum. We were wrongful told that this is bad for our teeth and could cause cavities. However, quite the opposite is true. This can actually help clean the teeth and reduce the chances of tooth decay. As long as the gum is sugar free, there is no reason why you should chew away.

Chewing Gum is good for Teeth