Chewing gum is good for your teeth
That chewing gum is bad for your teeth is one of those old myths that
is still hanging around. Those who perpetuate
this myth are of the school of thought that decrees that anything you
enjoy has to be bad for you and that suffering is the way to heaven.
Are you ready for this? Chewing gum is actually good for your teeth.
There, we said it.
Let's go one step further. If you're out and about and don't have
access to a toothbrush and
toothpaste, this is the second-best alternative to
brushing your teeth. With one reservation, and that is the sugar issue.
If you chew only while the sugar lasts and then throw it away,
you will get a sugar attack on your teeth and won't see the benefits. But
if you chew it for longer, it helps clean your teeth.
The actual gum is pretty inert. It isn't digestible and it doesn't promote
decay.
It does two things. First, it mechanically cleans the surfaces
of your teeth as you chew. Second, and possibly the most beneficial, it promotes the flow of
saliva. Here's why that is good:
Saliva is great stuff. Besides having enzymes that digest
carbohydrates, it has antibodies that fight decay-causing bacteria, it contains
buffers that neutralize the acids that eat at your teeth, and it contains minerals that
help rebuild parts of your teeth that have been attacked by decay acid. This repair process
by your saliva is a very important part of fighting
tooth decay. So
when you chew chewing gum and stimulate the flow
of saliva, you have all these good things happening in your mouth.
Some companies make chewing gum for
bad breath.
Click here to read our page about
soft teeth.
