Chewing Gum: Is it Good for You? The health benefits of gum chewing are under debate. Professionals feel it's uncouth. Teachers think it's disrespectful. And some are just worried about where it's going to end up (like under a table or desk). When it comes to whether or not chewing gum is good for your oral health, though, you can rest assured that so long as it's sugarless, it can be good for you. In this article we will discuss the benefits of gum chewing and the science behind it. Chewing Gum Replaces Other Sweets For those who have dieted it is a common occurrence to substitute gum for other sweets and snacks. Naturally, the many flavors of trident are not a match for a box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates. But, with some willpower and a steady supply, gum might just do the trick when it comes to keeping all that sugar away from your teeth and gums. Saliva Stimulation Reduces Acid By chewing gum a person increases saliva production. Saliva washes away any acidic substances in one's mouth. Acid from various foods slowly wears away the enamel that protects our teeth, so this is very positive benefit. Less Food Stuck in Your Teeth Lastly, anyone who has chewed gum knows that it gets food out of teeth. To illustrate, the following is a true story. Madison Avenue dynamo Zor Rothman brought his son Paul to the dentist one day. Paul sat in the chair to have his teeth inspected when his father said, "spit out your gum my little
solnyshko." Young Paul obliged and on the tiny piece of pink rubbery gum were bits of brown
specks. It seemed that Paul’s sweet little babushka had given him a box of Cracker Jack, and the gum had succeeded in getting a good deal of its caramel remnants off his teeth.
This is one reason so many people feel better having gum instead of mints after a meal. While a mint can be refreshing, chewing gum clears the scene.
Recommended Gum Choices Please note that this is not an endorsement for any one company, it will be on readers' minds. So, for those wanting to know which gum is safe, the following are some good choices:
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Pür Gum
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Simply Gum
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Spry
These are chosen simply for having very few ingredients and no chemicals. The Simply brand can be found in most grocery stores in the same aisle as the more upscale coconut bars and sun butter cups. For those gums found at checkout with other impulse buy items, you can be comfortable with one of these: ●
Dentyne
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Eclipse
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Ice Breakers
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Bubble Yum
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Extra
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Mentos Sugar Free Gum
In closing, it should go without saying that, while there are benefits to chewing gum, there are also benefits of drinking water. While saliva can wash out the acid that may be sitting on your teeth, so can replacing soda and sugary juices. Having said that, chewing gum is a good way to keep your mouth feeling fresh and clean between brushing and flossing.