Is chewing gum is good for tooth?

 

There is a evidence of humans chewing gum like substances in anthropology and dentistry at an archeological site at Sweden where the lumps of birch bark tar with tooth impressions of child and adults dating back 9000yrs back have been found. And they also found Native America Indian uses a chewing gum from spruce tree. Our Smile dental will give you the best awareness regarding bubble gum and its effect on teeth. 

There are two types of chewing gums. They are 

1. Sugar containing chewing gum 

          a) Monosaccharides [ glucose, fructose, galactose]

          b) Disaccharides [ sucrose, maltose, lactose]

2.Sugar free gums[ xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol] which are non carcinogenic.

Although there is some evidence that regular use of sugar free gum may reduce risk of cancer, But using gum only not a substitute instead you have to brush twice a day with fluoride tooth paste and flossing is necessary.

Chewing gum after a meal can increase salivary flow by stimulating both mechanical and taste receptors in the mouth. The average unstimulated salivary flow rate for healthy people is 0.3-0.4 mL/min.6 The physical act of chewing stimulates salivary flow: simply chewing unsweetened, unflavored chewing gum base stimulates the salivary flow rate by 10-12 times that of the unstimulated rate.

There are several mechanisms by which stimulated saliva flow may protect against dental caries. Increased saliva flow carries with it calcium and phosphate ions, which can contribute to remineralization of tooth enamel; the presence of fluoride in the saliva can serve to replace enamel components magnesium and carbonate with the stronger, more caries-resistant fluorapatite crystals. Saliva can buffer the effects of acids in foods or drinks that could otherwise soften teeth’s enamel surface, and swallowing excess saliva created by stimulation clears acid. While unstimulated saliva does not have a strong buffering capacity against acid, stimulated saliva has higher concentrations of protein, sodium, calcium, chloride, and bicarbonate increasing its buffering.

USES OF CHEWING GUM IN DISEASES;

1.Active Ingredient Delivery System; Although chewing gum may have appeal as a means of drug delivery, factors such as dosing and local effects of active ingredients on the oral cavity may be of concern. Notwithstanding, nicotine-containing gums are among are first-line pharmacologic therapies to assist with smoking cessation recommended by the U.S. Surgeon General. In addition, aspirin-containing gum has been sold as an over-the-counter (OTC) product, and there are several caffeine-containing gums available OTC that claim to boost energy and athletic performance

2.Enhanced Surgical Recovery; A number of systematic reviews published in recent years have indicated that chewing gum may positively affect postoperative ileus following various types of surgical interventions.

3.Oral mucositis.

4.Xerostomia,