SECOND OPINION: Is chewing gum hazardous to your dental health?
If you chew gum, you are not alone. It has been estimated that more than half of all Americans are gum chewers.
But is chewing gum hazardous to your dental health?
It depends upon the type of gum you chew.
Chewing gum that contains sugar is reportedly associated with the promotion of caries or dental decay. But chewing sugarless gum is not associated with causing dental decay and has even been shown to help prevent decay.
Xylitol is used to sweeten the taste of the gum. There are various proposed reason why xylitol sweetened sugarless gum prevents caries.
The plaque present on the teeth contains bacteria which produce acids. These acids remove certain minerals that are necessary to prevent caries. By chewing sugarless gum, the acids are quickly removed and the minerals that prevent caries remain.
Also, chewing gum produces more saliva and this increase in saliva washes out the bacteria present in the mouth. Saliva also contains minerals that are helpful in making teeth healthier.
Preventing dental decay is very important because of how common it is. If it is considered a disease, then it is the most prevalent childhood chronic disease.
The xylitol in sugarless gum also plays a role in preventing caries. A recent study showed that syrup containing xylitol given orally to children age 9 to 13 months had significantly fewer cavities than the children who did not receive the xylitol syrup.
Chewing gum has also be shown to have other benefits. For some people it is helpful in stopping smoking. For others, it helps relieve stress.
Gum chewing may sweeten a person's breath, but this usually does not have a long-lasting effect.
However, from a social point of view, it is important how a person chews his or her gum. In fact, some people believe that chewing gum in public is not acceptable and it should be done in the privacy of one's home.
Dr. Murray Feingold is the physician in chief of the National Birth Defects Center, medical editor of WBZ-TV and WBZ radio, and president of the Genesis Fund. The Genesis Fund is a nonprofit organization that funds the care of children born with birth defects, mental retardation and genetic diseases.