Oral effects of chewing gum

​From Minty Fresh to Bubble Gum, at one point or another most of us have experienced this chewy popular substance. 

So why does this effect oral care ? YES, it's proven that chewing gum cleans your mouth and freshens your breath. ( temporarily) 
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This sticky substance removes food particles from the surface of your teeth; lowering your risk for cavities in the process. 

It also stimulates 10x the normal rate of saliva flow, which helps wash away food debris and reduce acids in your mouth that can erode tooth enamel. 

Now, on the contrary there are opposite sides to these benefits.

I'll let you choose your own opinion ... 

I myself am a gum chewer, not often but for me it helps me in stressful situations instead of grinding my teeth.  I chew "pur" gum or Georganics and honestly, I feel bad when I do because firstly how is gum even disposed. Secondly, I think about the impact I have on planet earth and if only 100 people chewed one piece, a day, over a year, the amount of garbage it produces is disgusting and harmful. I often find myself battling back and forth with my opinion on gum.
​I thought I would write a blog, which would force me to research & share my knowledge on this sticky rubber-like substance that most of us don't think twice about.

When should I chew gum?
It’s best to chew gum right after eating; chewing for up to 20 minutes increases saliva flow and helps cancel out acid.

Quick Dental Tip: Plaque starts to form half an hour after cleaning your teeth. So unless you're walking around brushing those choppers every 30 mins, you will have some plaque.

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​Salivary Flow aka Spit 

The average unstimulated salivary flow rate for healthy individuals is 0.3-0.4 ml/min.

The physical act of chewing gum stimulates salivary flow aka spit 10 - 12 times. 

So, why does this even matter?

Saliva is the buffer between the acids that could otherwise soften teeth enamel. Additionally, saliva contributes proteins to dental surfaces, protecting against dental erosion. 

​Now that I mentioned acid…. 
Firstly you need to know that critical value for enamel dissolution is PH of 5.5.

To put some things in scale for you...

​When the PH of plaque drops below this critical value, enamel demineralization occurs; meaning gum with a PH lower than 5.5 may contribute to enamel erosion.

WAIT WHAT ARE NEOTAME AND SACCHARIN, how do I even pronounce these ... google?

as·par·tame
noun 
a very sweet substance used as an artificial sweetener, chiefly in low-calorie products. It is a derivative of aspartic acid and phenylalanine.

ne·o·tame 
is a derivative of a dipeptide compound of the amino acids – aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Neotame has been developed as a sweetener with a high degree of sweetness and is obtained by N-alkylating aspartame. Its degree of sweetness varies according to the kind of food and blend composition. It is 7000–13 000 times and about 30–60 times sweeter than sugar and aspartame, respectively. - ( wait what ... ew ) 

sac·cha·rin
noun
a sweet-tasting synthetic compound used in food and drink as a substitute for sugar.

ste·vi·a
noun
​a composite herb native to South America (Genus Stevia, especially S. rebaudiana, native to Paraguay) whose leaves are the source of a noncaloric sweetener.

Get to the point Ana ...
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So overall is chewing gum bad or good for your teeth?

Let me start off by saying I'm no medical expert, nor am I pushing you to chew or not to chew. I am genuinely a nerd, have experience in a ton of medical research and well I like to exhaust a topic and get to the bottom of things. I also genuinely enjoy a fresh piece of minty refreshment, yet somehow my inner guts keep telling me "Ana cut this crap out!" 

So like any curious oral dental infatuated person if that's even a thing, I spent a ton of time researching and this is my conclusion. 

Look I learned GUM or the act of chewing GUM has been around since ancient times.
After I drop my facts on Aspartame, I'll include the organic alternatives and history of gum. 
Then to be honest you choose my free little bird... 
Whether there is room for this habit in your life or not, or maybe you start chewing on fresh mint leaves. Whatever it is ... I bet you learned something about gum, that you didn't think twice about putting in your mouth. 

As I was saying... Aspartame ( yuk) 

​Anti-aspartame activists claim there's a link between aspartame and a multitude of aliments including:

• Cancer
• Seizures
• Headaches
• Depression
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Dizziness
• Weight gain
• Birth defects
• Lupus
• Alzheimer's disease 
• multiple sclerosis (MS)​

Research is ongoing to confirm or invalidate connections between these aliments and aspartame, but currently there is inconsistent outcomes in studies. Some research reports increased risk, symptoms, disease acceleration, while others report no negative outcomes with aspartame intake.

The controversy over aspartame continues. Available evidence doesn't suggest long-term negative effects, but research is ongoing. Before you switch back to sugar (which is high in calories and has no nutritional value), you can consider natural alternatives to aspartame. You may try sweetening foods and beverages with:

• Honey
• Maple syrup
• Agave nectar
• Fruit juice 
• Black strap molasses

Gums that I chew Pur & Georganics  ( not sponsored)

It's their simple ingredients for me. Now I'll probably cut down due to research.
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Now I'm even thinking, I should probably purchase all these various gum brands and test their PH levels after chewing and spitting in a cup ... New Blog Topic, I think so ...  

Also, I learned that TODAY 2021 - the base most used for gum products is a blend of synthetic materials (elastomers, resins, and waxes) flavour, colours, and sweeteners.

Summing this up with a bit of History! 

Hope you enjoyed this Blog Post!

Thank you very much for taking the time to read it. 

Next months post will be about
"Essential Oils for Oral Care" 
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Please leave a like or comment down below. 
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​Have a wonderful day, keep smiling 

Chewing gum has been around since ancient times.

THE GREEKS - chewed sap from the mastic tree

THE MAYANS - chewed sap from the sapodilla tree
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THE NATIVE AMERICANS FROM ENGLAND - chewed spurge sap; a habit they passed on to European settlers.