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The Positives and Negatives of Chewing Gum

Posted on 2/2/2024 by Weo Admin

Joyful white woman showing off her beautiful teeth with a smile.

American adults chew gum with regularity. The American Dental Association says that over 160 million Americans chew gum during the year. If you are a gum chewer, there are positives and negatives to your gum-chewing habit.

We Start With the Positives

Gum chewing helps you produce excess saliva. Saliva helps to wash bacteria out of your mouth, and it is those bacteria causing gum disease and cavities. Second, many people chew gum to prevent themselves from using tobacco. If you are trying to limit your tobacco intake over concern for your overall health, as well as your dental health, chewing gum is a great option.

People also chew gum to help with chronic bad breath or halitosis. Chronic bad breath is socially difficult and becomes more challenging as you age. If you chew gum, you are encouraging the production of saliva, which reduces the chances of having bad breath.

Finally, gum chewing puts sweetness into your mouth, which tricks your body into thinking it is consuming sugar. If you are trying to cut down on your sugar intake, chewing gum is a good choice. While gum contains some sugar, it does not contain as much sugar as a dessert does.

Are There Negatives to Gum Chewing?

Gum chewing occasionally can be a great alternative to consuming candy or desserts or as an alternative to smoking, but there are drawbacks to gum chewing as well. If you chew gum for hours each day, you may notice you have jaw pain or inflammation. This can contribute to temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) or inflammation of your jaw joint. TMD can cause pain, and you may not be able to open and close your mouth fully.

Also, when you chew gum all day, you are depositing natural or artificial sugars onto your teeth and gums. The bacteria in your mouth are attracted to the sugars and carbohydrates in your teeth. If you do like to chew gum, make sure you brush your teeth regularly to eliminate those sugars on your teeth.

Do you have questions about your gum-chewing habit? Why not give our dental office a call today to consult with one of our practitioners?

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Dental Blog • Nancy Shiba, DDS
Nancy Shiba, DDS, 125 N Jackson Ave, Suite 103, San Jose, CA 95116-1914 \ (669) 306-7669 \ nancyshibadds.com \ 9/2/2024