To get rid of bad breath, we get into the habit of chewing gum. Although it seems that by chewing gum we're helping our teeth, gum with a lot of sugar can be harmful. Is chewing gum really good for the teeth?

Bad breath.

Bad breath really does cause discomfort for a large proportion of patients. Most often unpleasant breath signals far more serious health problems.

Firstly, bad breath can appear when food is poorly digested. Unpleasant breath can also appear because of a bacterium that has arisen in the stomach. In that case you should visit a doctor, have tests done and, most importantly, adjust your diet, eat more fruit, vegetables, vitamins and minerals, and avoid fatty food and overeating.

Bad breath often also signals certain oral cavity diseases or smoking. This unpleasant problem can be avoided by regularly having professional oral hygiene, balancing your diet and carefully caring for your teeth at home.

When is it harmful?

Ordinary chewing gum usually contains a lot of sugar. When you chew gum constantly, more saliva naturally accumulates in the mouth, which signals the digestive system to start digesting, even though there's no food in the stomach. In this way, immoderate gum-chewing can lead to the formation of stomach ulcers.

It's also worth mentioning that chewing gum makes the chewing muscles work actively. Excessive activity of the chewing muscles in some cases leads to teeth grinding (bruxism).

When is it beneficial?

In essence, chewing gum isn't harmful to the teeth. It helps quickly eliminate the bad odour given off by bacteria, since chewing gum releases saliva, which neutralises acids and removes unnecessary food remnants. Moreover, chewing gum can help get rid of everyday tension.

Still, almost all of the most popular chewing gums contain a lot of sugar. Everyone who likes to chew gum should choose sugar-free gum, which by its composition isn't harmful to the teeth and just as effectively helps guard against bad breath.

So chewing gum can be beneficial, but it should be chewed in moderation, and before buying you should check the composition. Come to AND klinika and find out more useful tips about oral hygiene!