Have you ever heard that chewing your gum is bad for your teeth? There may be some truth in this. However, chewing gum can also lead to a number of dental benefits. You see, chewing gum can be detrimental or beneficial—depending on the type of gum you chew.
Many people assume that chewing gum is bad for your smile because of the sugar that your teeth could be exposed to. And this is true. So if you choose to chew gum, please use sugar free gum. There are real benefits to chewing gum you should consider. For example, the chewing motion can stimulate saliva production, which creates a healthy environment where good bacteria can thrive.
Even though sugar free gum is better for your oral health than gum with sugar in it, there are other things you can search for. For example, when you’re buying your gum, you could look for a brand with xylitol in it. Xylitol, like saliva, can actually help make your mouth a good environment for the good bacteria in your mouth. Furthermore, xylitol can actually stop bad bacteria from bonding to your teeth.
Still, please note that some argue that chewing gum could actually train your muscles to clench your teeth. In other words, if you chew gum often, you could increase your chances of bruxism or TMJ disorder.
If you’re interested in learning more, please don’t hesitate to contact Smiles Unlimited at 925.344.5757. Our dentist, Dr. Rakhi Jani, and our team will be happy to answer any questions you may have. We look forward to hearing from you soon.