Can Chewing Gum Help Your Smile?

Surprise! Chewing gum can be of benefit to your teeth and gums! Dr. Dervin, DDS, serving Kansas City and area with his expertise in dentistry, explains why and helps identify which chewing gum to keep handy.

Consider how your mouth feels as the hours pass from when you brushed them last. Most likely, your teeth feel less smooth, a little “sticky”. Your breath starts to smell, and a less-than-fresh taste coats your mouth. That’s plaque—a sticky, clear film–hard at work forming over your teeth.

Plaque contains germs. When you eat or drink sugary, starchy foods, the sugars and plaque mix together to make an acid. The acids in your mouth attack your tooth enamel (the hard outer layer of each tooth) and can cause decay. Each acid attack can last 20 minutes and enlarge cavities.

Ideally, mid-day snacks between tooth brushings should be of a nutritious nature, low in sugar and starch. But being realistic, our dental clinic recognizes most people grab a chocolate bar instead of celery sticks for their 3 o’clock break. Therefore chewing sugarless gum for about 20 minutes immediately following a snack can be a good idea in that it forces increased production of saliva. That extra saliva works towards rinsing some of the acid from your teeth, though certainly doesn’t replace proper dental hygiene.

Since chewing gum can only do so much against relentless acid attacks, we strongly suggest scheduling regular dental check-ups and cleanings with our capable professionals. Dr. Dervin, DDS, assists Kansas City and area residents in discovering healthy, brilliant smiles they can be thrilled about! Find out what can he do for you!