.svg)
Have you ever had cravings for chewing gums? If yes, then you are not alone most of the people experience the same. While you may think that chewing gums is harmful to your oral health well that’s not the whole story. There are multiple types of chewing gums that can be beneficial for your oral hygiene too.
What is chewing gum
Chewing gum is a smooth, rubbery material that's intended to be chewed but not swallowed. There are various varieties of chewing gums such as the gums having sugar in it and sugarless gums. Well, there are few advantages and disadvantages of chewing gum for your teeth which depends on the material present in the gum.
Advantages of chewing gum
If you go for sugarless gums, you can enjoy multiple oral health benefits such as
Battling Bad Breath
Bad breath which is also called halitosis is embarrassing, but everyone experiences it. Sometimes, it can happen due to consuming too certian kinds of food in your diet. In other cases, it can be one of the symptoms of some oral health conditions like gum problems or dry mouth. Chewing sugar-free gums can help to cover this bad breath by increasing salivary flow in our mouth.
Prevents formation of cavities
Saliva plays a vital role in your mouth it doesn't just keep your mouth saturated and comfortable rather it helps to wash away food particles. Ultimately it removes bacteria that can cause cavities. Saliva contains Nutrients like calcium, fluoride that help to strengthen tooth enamel.
Stimulate Saliva Flow
Most of the times People having dry mouth have an insufficient flow of saliva, which can cause uneasiness while eating, swallowing or speaking. It can occur as a side effect of some medicines, such as allergy medicine and muscle relaxants. In that case, your medical doctor may suggest various ways to manage this unfriendly side effect, including chewing sugarless gum..
To brighten your teeth
Teeth whitening is a major concern nowadays, with time our teeth show stains due to some eating habits. It can be due to drinking tea, coffee and excessive use of mouth wash. Along with many whitening agents, some whitening chewing gums also coat the teeth while preventing stains.
Disadvantages of chewing gums
Along with so many benefits of chewing gum, there are some negative effects too our oral health. This is because some of the gum contains sugar which is consumed by the bad bacteria in your mouth. Accumulation of bacteria with sugar causes an increase in the amount of plaque on your teeth.
TMJ problems
Excessive use of Chewing gum can cause pain in jaw muscles. In some cases, the muscles of the jaw can become imbalanced and start to hurt, therefore causing TMJ problems. To reduce the risk, you can Switch sides of the mouth when chewing gum.
Causes Tooth damage
Chewing sugary gum, that contains aspartame can cause cavities. You are basically bathing your teeth with sugar. The sugar present in gum stays on your teeth for a long time which can end up with multiple cavities and raising more oral health-related problems. You can use xylitol gum which is sugar-free if you are advised to have chewing gum.
The habit of chewing gum is common and you don’t need to feel guilty. All you can do about it is Simply choose sugarless gums, and you can have the fun of blowing bubbles and enjoy many other benefits. Of course, brushing and flossing your teeth regularly is important while using gum, and never forget to visit your dentist.
