The Best Chewing Gums for Your Teeth

Chewing gum is tasty and helps freshen breath. And, the right chewy snack may also help assist with cavity-fighting. In order to find a chewing gum that will also help keep teeth healthy, it is important to be familiar with the types of sugars and/or sweeteners that are in them, and how they affect our teeth. 

            Bacteria in our month typically reside in dental plaque, which is the deposit that naturally forms on all our teeth. Bacteria love food —especially sugar. When we consume sugar, the bacteria eat it, then produce an acid which creates cavities. The saliva in our mouth skillfully fights these cavities as it washes away the acid and bacteria. When we chew, our mouths produce more saliva.When we produce extra saliva, we help our mouths clean a little more effectively and stay healthier. 

            Sugar-free chewing gums are the most effective with cavity elimination because they do not have the sugars that bacteria use to stay alive. Chewing gums with sugar may indeed help produce saliva, but then they also help feed bacteria. So, their use defeats the purpose of cavity-fighting. 

            The next time you need to decide what type of chewing gum to buy, you may want to try a sugar-free one and see if you feel and see a difference- some chewing gums help whiten teeth as well! Most sugar-free gums contain sweeteners such as mannitol, maltitol, or even xylitol. Xylitol is considered the best sweetener because it actually helps kill bacteria. Unfortunately, xylitol is the most expensive sweetener. Experiment with different chewing gums and tell us which one is your favorite!