There are a lot of things that you put your body through during an average day in, but if look after yourself, then your body can take what you demand of it; it’s the same with your mouth as well. You chew and you chatter, and though you might not be aware of it, your jaw joints are taking the brunt of this. They are two of the tiniest joints in your body and have to deal with a lot each day. Fortunately, they are surrounded by muscle and tissue to give them support to handle what you get up to. But they are not indestructible and if exposed to ‘extra curricular’ activity, they will become worn out. The first signs of this are if they ache constantly or click when you open and close your mouth, because it shows signs of damage and you may need surgery to repair the problem. This ‘activity’ that we speak of is exposing yourself to impacts from sports that you may like to play, and it is imperative that you take the necessary precautions to protect your mouth with a head and mouth guard to prevent damage to your jaws. The real killer though comes from a condition that you may have not noticed creeping up on you- teeth grinding, a stress related issue that is easy to suffer from in a busy place like central Leeds. Aside from the obvious damage to your teeth, grinding can destroy your jaw joints, lead to tinnitus, bad head aches, damage to your neck and nervous system, and then cause complications in your upper back. If you have any concerns that you may be at risk, you should consult your dentist immediately.

The jury can be out amongst dentists in Leeds when it comes to the affects that chewing gum has on the teeth and gums. Chewing itself, is a process by which to break up food and then to digest. The forces in doing this, impact on the joints of the jaws and place the everyday pressure upon the temporomandibular joint in the mouth (TMJ). There are many other stresses too from talking and clenching of the teeth that add extra pressure in this area. Chewing gum is considered to be a way of relieving tension, but it will also place extra forces upon this area of the mouth that can lead to damage, over time, that may require some hard-core surgery to rectify. Sugar based chewing gum can also promote tooth decay and gum disease too. But, the use of chewing gum can also promote the health of the teeth and gums. If you happen to be on heavy medication, or have been unfortunate to undergo chemo-therapy, this can lower the saliva levels in the mouth, and leave the teeth and gums vulnerable to gum disease and tooth decay. Chewing certain gums however in these circumstances can help to rejuvenate the blood flow in the gums and re-stimulate the saliva in the mouth. Of course, chewing gum is also a classic way of fending of bad breath too because it is a way of removing sticky foodstuffs from the surfaces of the teeth and a way of preventing bacteria and acids from building up in the mouth and damaging the teeth’s enamel.