Strange as it may seem, it can be referred to as an additional means of oral hygiene. Let's first understand whether chewing gum is harmful or useful?
In terms of benefit or harm, we can distinguish 2 types of gum:
- 1. Sugar. This product contains glucose or fructose. Chewing gum with sugar is bad for your teeth, because the whole time you chew it, you feed harmful bacteria in your mouth with light carbohydrates, just like with candy.
- 2. Sugar-free, with xylitol or sorbitol. This gum is good for your teeth!
What exactly is the usefulness of chewing gum?
It mechanically removes food debris from the mouth that sticks to the teeth.
Mechanical and gustatory stimulation with a rubber band increases the rate of salivation up to 10 times. The oral cavity is rinsed with saliva, which has buffering properties - its enzymes neutralize the acids of food, and it also contains calcium, fluoride and phosphorus ions, which are necessary for strengthening enamel.
Chewing gum is a kind of oral trainer, It allows you to increase the load on the gums and improve their blood supply. It is necessary because nowadays people eat mostly soft food and gums do not get the load they need.
What is the right way to chew gum to maximize the benefits and do no harm?
- —Chew gum only after eating, then the gastric juice released during its chewing will not harm your stomach.
- —The optimal time to chew gum — 10 minutes. During this time it has time to fulfill all its functions, and, again, the amount of gastric juice secreted will not be harmful.
- —Try to chew gum on different sides of the jaw to evenly distribute the chewing load so that individual muscles don't become hypertrophied.
- —Keep in mind that chewing gum is only an aid to oral hygiene, not a substitute for proper oral care. And don't chew it too often, as this can cause harm rather than benefit. Don't forget to visit a specialist every six months for a preventive checkup and professional teeth cleaning.