Is Chewing Gum Good For Teeth?

Delicious gum – does it harm or help? (Images LongLiveRock on Wiki Commons)

I was asked today – “Doc, is chewing gum good for teeth?”

Chewing gum is good for you 🙂

Chewing sugar-free chewing gum can definitely be good for teeth. It can promote protective saliva to cover the teeth. It can reduce harmful acids from eating and drinking and even help clear food from the mouth after eating! So if you don’t have enough time to brush, grabbing a stick of chewing gum is ideal.

Even better news is that the most popular brands are sugar free, and they will say so on the packet. There are heaps of different flavours (not just boring mint) and you will be surprised at how sweet and long-lasting modern sugar free chewing gum can be!

Another reason that chewing gum is good for you is that it helps battle against bad breath and dry mouth.

There are even some special chewing gums (popular in Japan) that can help strengthen and protect teeth – though they are not available in all countries. You should ask at your dental practice next time you visit to see what is available! An example of a brand that is available sometimes outside of Japan is Recaldent.

My favourite flavour (after boring spearmint) is watermelon Recaldent. What flavours do you like?