Statistically the average American chews roughly 300 pieces of bubble gum every single year. Naturally, this has some people wondering if that much gum is good or bad for their teeth. Whether or not chewing gum is good for you really comes down to what kind of gum you are chewing. If you are chewing sugar-free gum, it could actually be helping your teeth more than it is hurting your teeth.
How Does Sugar Free Gum Help?
Sugar free gum causes your mouth to produce additional saliva. When this happens, the extra salvia cleans your teeth and washes away and debris. This, in turn, can make your tooth enamel that much stronger.
Naturally, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. The American Dental Association recommends chewing a piece of sugar free gum for 20 minutes after you finish earing your meal. If you really want to make sure the gum is preventing dental problems, only by gum with the “ADA” seal on it. This seal means the American Dental Association has approved it as a gum that will help your teeth.
Even if you come across sugar-free gum that is not promoted as a tooth whitening gum, that is just what the gum is going to do if it is really sugar-free. Eat a meal, chew your gum, and don’t forget to floss and brush your teeth too! This combination of steps will make your teeth stronger and prevent future dental problems.
As you can see, gum is not some magical solution to brushing or glossing, but it has been known to help decrease the amount of dental problems you face. Just make sure your gum is always sugar free and try to choose gum with the “ADA” seal.
