Can You Prevent Cavities By Chewing Gum?

Chewing gum has been an enjoyable habit for millions of Americans for more than 100 years. People choose to chew gum for a variety of reasons: to freshen their breath, to prevent them from over-indulging in foods or beverages, or to keep them from bad habits like smoking or biting their nails. Well, you may be surprised to learn that there is another benefit of this tasty habit – preventing dental cavities. While this may sound too good to be true, chewing the right type of gum can help keep your mouth free from dental damage.

Inside your mouth live millions of oral bacteria. These bacteria are meant to assist in breaking down the tiny particles that are left behind in your mouth after you eat and drink. Oral bacteria congregate around these particles and produce acids to dissolve them so that they do not rot between your teeth or at your gumline. However, the fact that oral bacteria produce acids is where you need to be concerned. If acids are allowed to linger inside your mouth, they will begin to eat holes in your teeth. These holes are known as cavities.

Chewing gum is beneficial in that it helps to stimulate the production of saliva inside the mouth. Saliva is one of the most overlooked benefactors to a healthy mouth. A moist mouth does not allow the acids to adhere to the teeth, so they do not easily damage the tooth enamel. Chewing gum helps to keep the mouth moist, so popping a piece of gum into your mouth following a meal or a snack can keep left-behind particles from causing damage to your smile.

Of course, chewing gum should never take the place of proper oral hygiene. It is essential that you floss your teeth daily and that you brush your teeth twice a day. It is also vital that you choose a sugar-free option when choosing gum. If you put a piece of gum inside your mouth that is laden with sugar, you are merely coating your teeth and feeding the acid-producing bacteria. This will be counterproductive and will wreak havoc on your mouth.

At Gwinnett Family Dental Care, we want to help promote a healthy smile in the easiest methods possible. Contact us today for a recommendation for a sugar-free gum to help you prevent cavities.