Chewing Gum and your Teeth

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By Smiles By Design

Before there were advances in technology, dentists would discourage the chewing of gum because of all of the sugar that it was made with. The sugar was one of the known causes for cavities and problems with the teeth. Now there are so many ways in which gum can be sweetened, it is not looked down upon like it used to be.  

Used for Sweetening Gum:

• Sugar

• Stevia leaf extract

• Xylitol

• Sorbitol

• Mannitol

• Aspartame

If you are unsure of what your gum is sweetened with, checking the ingredients is a quick way to find out. Some gums use only one sweetener, but there are some that use more than one. If you are unsure of what is used to sweeten your gum, chances are you should just stay away from that brand. 

Gum That Can Help Clean Your Teeth

With all of the sweeteners that are used to make gum, there have been studies that show some of these gums can help to clean your teeth. If these gums are chewed after a meal, they can help to get rid of the plaque and germs that come from food. The gum chewing helps to remove acids that cause bacteria off of your teeth. This helps to clean and protect your teeth. 

When you chew gum, you are also stimulating the saliva in your mouth. This is helpful in cleaning up your bad breath after food or coffee. 

What is Xylitol?

There a many gums that are sweetened with Xylitol. These gums help to stop the growth of certain bacteria’s that can cause viruses, cavities, and gum disease. If you chew gum with Xylitol in it, you are making your chances lower to have these bacteria in your mouth. The bacteria that causes gum disease and tooth lose can live all over your mouth and that is why it is important to try and kill it. This is an easy way to do so. 

If you are a gum chewer, make sure to talk to your Ocenaside, NY cosmetic dentist about it. They can even suggest some gums that will work best for your mouth. Remember that gum chewing does not take the place of brushing or flossing your teeth.