Sugar-free Gum Helpful or Not

Clinical studies have shown that chewing sugar-free gum for up to 20 minutes after meals or snacks can increase the flow of saliva ten times the normal. The physical act of chewing increases the flow of saliva that neutralize and wash away the acid in you mouth. Also the increased flow of saliva also carries with it more calcium and phosphate to help strengthen tooth enamel.

The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends only sugarless gums that are are sweetened by non-cavity causing sweeteners such as aspartame, xylitol, sorbitol or mannitol.  Of course, chewing sugar-containing gum also increases saliva flow, but it also contains sugar which is used by plaque bacteria to produce decay-causing acids.

Dental Consideration:

There are some instance that chewing gum is not advisable, like case of  temporomandibular disorder symptoms (TMD/TMJ), people with certain type of dentures and if you have braces. Don’t let chewing sugarless gum replace good dental hygiene practices like tooth brushing and flossing .Dentist still recommends brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and cleaning plaque from between your teeth once a day with dental floss or other interdental cleaners.