chewing gum for teeth
Chewing gum in and of itself is not necessarily a healthy habit to develop. If you want to freshen your mouth, it is better to brush and floss your teeth or use mouthwash rather than use chewing gum to clean them. Your teeth are essential, and they are the gateway to the rest of your body. It is essential to care for them well and to pay attention to how the things you put in your mouth may affect the rest of your body.
“WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF CHEWING GUM?”
•Chewing gum makes you less likely to eat healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables and more likely to eat potato chips and candy, leading to tooth decay.
•Chewing gum can lead to tooth decay and erosion, mainly sugar-sweetened. When you chew sugar-sweetened gum, you are practically bathing your teeth and gums in a sugar bath for a sustained period.
•Gum contains artificial sweeteners, which will hurt your health regardless of whether the gum includes sugar.
•Chewing gum can cause mercury to be released from mercury amalgam fillings.
Now that the basic facts and statistics on chewing gum are said, let’s talk about some of the specific potential health effects of chewing gum in more detail:
“Potential health effects of artificial sweeteners”
Your teeth and gums are exposed to these artificial ingredients, and you do swallow many of the flavour ingredients as the gum is chewed, and the chewing process extracts the flavour-causing elements. Your mouth lining is highly absorbent, and many of the components can be absorbed directly through them.
“The tempromandibular joint/TMJ”
TMJ is the place where your jawbone attaches to your skull. The muscles which control this join becoming fatigued or unbalanced can cause TMJ disorders. Although most gum chewing does not cause TMJ disorders, people who develop a regular gum-chewing habit can experience muscle fatigue which places them at risk. Plus, Aggressive gum chewing can increase the risk of developing TMJ disorders, as these behaviours are more stressful in the TMJ area than in others.
“Headaches”
Some gum chewers, significantly younger people, have experienced headaches due to excessive gum chewing because the jaw muscles become fatigued. These headaches are usually the result of someone chewing gum to deal with stress; This stress tends to lead to chewing harder and faster as well, which further exacerbates the problem, leading to a tension headache.
“Tooth deformities”
Chewing gum regularly as a habit can lead to excessive wear on the tooth enamel and even change your bite alignment. The upper molars may spread apart gradually, while the lower molars begin to drift backward, leading to an overbite gradually. If the behaviour goes on and is left unchecked, these changes can ultimately lead to the need for orthodontic care to correct them. Besides, if the enamel is allowed to wear down gradually, the teeth may become sensitive to hot or cold foods and beverages or acidic foods.
“CAVITIES”
If you chew not sugar-free gum, while you might avoid some of the potential pitfalls of artificial sweeteners, you may put yourself at an increased risk of developing cavities due to exposing your teeth to sugar for a prolonged period. This risk worsens if you create a habit of chewing sugary gum. Dentists generally recommend sugar-free gum.
Altogether, if you chew sugar-free gum, it might even have a positive effect on your teeth in that it may help avoid cavities by removing plaque and harmful bacteria from the surface of the teeth and gums. However, chewing gum in and of itself is not indeed a healthy habit to develop, and it may come with some traps and risks that are worth considering.
