It can be said with certainty that chewing gum can indeed play a role in cleaning the mouth and teeth to a certain extent. There is a phenomenon in life that we may have overlooked: the extensive processing of many foods today. Although this makes them easy to chew and swallow, it can also lead to the relative atrophy of our chewing muscles. Chewing gum allows people to exercise their chewing muscles and bite force through the repeated chewing process. Additionally, chewing gum can also promote saliva secretion in the mouth.
Regularly chewing gum can increase saliva secretion, thereby better cleaning the mouth and teeth and reducing the formation of dental plaque. Furthermore, during repeated biting motions, the jaw, masseter muscles, and teeth can get a full workout, which is very beneficial for periodontal health. On the other hand, Dr. Fox, director of the Neurology Department at a medical center in Los Angeles, USA, also discovered that chewing gum for about fifteen minutes a day can have a beautifying effect.
First, most chewing gums use sucrose as a sweetener.
When chewing gum, sugar remains in the mouth for a long time. Cariogenic bacteria in the mouth will use sucrose to produce acidic substances, which corrode the teeth, causing decalcification and thus inducing cavities.
The *Journal of the American Dental Association* recommends that the public choose new types of chewing gum that use xylitol instead of sucrose, because xylitol has the same taste and nutritional value as sucrose but does not ferment to produce acid and does not damage teeth.
At the same time, chewing can increase saliva secretion and reduce the acidity of saliva, which also helps prevent cavities.
Second, people who have had their teeth filled with mercury-containing materials should preferably not chew gum.
A study by Swiss scientists found that frequent chewing of gum can damage dental filling materials in the mouth, causing the amalgam to release mercury, leading to excessive levels of mercury in the blood and urine, thereby harming the brain, central nervous system, and kidneys.
Furthermore, chewing gum is also not good for children.
Because children have poor self-control, keeping gum in their mouths all day could lead to swallowing or accidental inhalation into the trachea, endangering their lives.
Additionally, chewing gum for long periods keeps the chewing muscles constantly tense, which may lead to the habit of grinding teeth during sleep, thereby affecting the child's sleep quality.
Once, someone joked that Americans' habit of grinding their teeth in sleep "originates from chewing gum".
Doctors recommend that the time spent chewing gum should not exceed 15 minutes. People with stomach problems should also avoid chewing gum excessively, as prolonged chewing can reflexively secrete a large amount of stomach acid.
Especially on an empty stomach, this can not only cause symptoms like nausea, loss of appetite, and acid reflux, but over the long term, it may also lead to diseases such as gastric ulcers and gastritis.
Chewing gum for too long keeps the chewing muscles constantly tense, which may lead to the habit of grinding teeth at night.
In addition, if adolescents chew gum during their period of physical development, it may over-exercise their masseter muscles, stimulating the development of the muscles and bones at the jaw angle, ultimately resulting in a "square-shaped face," which affects a woman's facial profile.
As we all know, another well-known function of chewing gum is to freshen breath, but it should be noted that this effect is related to sustained-release technology; good sustained-release can keep the breath fresh for a longer period. However, even if it can last for a long time, it can only have a temporary effect. This is because bad breath is caused by various reasons, and one should find the corresponding primary disease that causes the odor, such as gastrointestinal or oral diseases. Only by treating the symptoms with the right medicine is the fundamental way to keep the breath fresh.