It is a funny thing really, if you were ever caught chewing gum at school in Leeds in the dark and distant past, you may have been whipped, told to stand in the corner and possibly with detention in the pipeline at the end of the day. Well from now on you can be cheeky back because it has been proven by research that chewing gum is actually good for your teeth and gums. The whole chewing action produces saliva in your mouth- brilliant for combating bacteria that is a never ending threat to your oral health. But if you stick a lump of gum in your mouth after a meal, it can further help to remove sticky stuff from foods from settling on the surfaces of your teeth. Don’t go mad with it though: it can help to strengthen the muscles that protect you’re your jaw joints, but over-chewing can also be detrimental to your jaws as well. The gum that you munch on should also be sugar free as well otherwise you’ll be rather leaving sugar on your teeth that could lead to tooth decay. Tell that to your teacher!
Most of us in Leeds love a god chew- it can have a strangely calming affect on our stress filled day, strengthen the muscles around the jaw (if done in moderation) and the biggest bonus of all, help reduce the amount we smoke. But there are other reasons why chewing can do your teeth and gums the world of good. If you chew with a sugar free gum or these days, one that has elements of herbal products in such as clove and Echinacea, it helps to massage and stimulate the blood flow in the gums and promote the natural enemy of bacteria- saliva. Your saliva helps to strengthen teeth and neutralize the build up of acids that cause tooth decay. Chewing gum can also help to break down plaque and tartar and reduce the risk of gingivitis and gum disease. Most important of all, it helps to remove any foodstuffs from around the teeth after eating- in fact, if you chew gum during the day, you are far less likely to give into the temptation of ‘snacking’ between meals. Who’d have thought that just by chewing a piece of gum, you could promote so much health in your mouth and body?
Chewing gums benefits can be substantial to our oral health. Whether it is to freshen breath or contribute to increased production of saliva, many of us chew gum. Saliva is a vital force in protecting our teeth from the damaging effects of plaque and chewing gum is one of the simplest ways to achieve that.
Chewing gum is the world’s most popular habit with an incredible 100,00 tons of it being chewed each year. Previously thought of as an unpleasant habit, the traditional image of chewing gum as a nuisance that was stuck under tables and on pavements everywhere is beginning to change.
Chewing gum is believed to be the world’s most common habit. Over 100,000 tonnes of it are chewed each year. While some people see chewing gum as a bad habit, and we’ve all experienced the annoyance of stepping in it at some point, there are also several major health benefits of gum chewing. It can relieve stress and tension and help with weight loss but by far and away the major benefit is for oral health.
