Stop… and Check the Ingredients in Your Gum
Wednesday, March 27th, 2013
You may find yourself reaching for a stick of gum when you feel like your breath is stinking up the room. It could also be a way to shy away from smoking cigarettes, or just a habit. Whatever your reason for chewing gum may be, if you’re not smart about your gum choices, you may actually be causing more damage than you think. Companies that produce gum are pulling out all the stops with flavors like key lime pie and cookies and cream, but just imagine the amount of sugar that your teeth are getting beat with when you opt for these flavors. Here are a few tips and tricks to finding the best gum for bad breath and your overall oral health – you’ll thank us later.
Ditch the sugar
Sugary gum can taste yummy, but it can to damage to your breath and feed the bacteria that live in your mouth. Your bad breath is caused by bacteria that sit on your tongue and in your mouth and release odorous compounds, and they feed on the food you consume. If you’re eating a well-balanced diet of fruits and veggies, you’re more likely to have fresh breath and a clean mouth. The best gum for bad breath helps to fight these bacteria while defeating dry mouth, which is another big culprit of stinky breath. Chewing gum with sugar in it can also cause cavities and tooth decay.
Most dentists recommend chewing gum that is sweetened with Xylitol, a natural sweetener that is found in birch trees, corn cobs and other botanicals. This type of gum stimulates saliva flow and prevents bacteria from producing acid that causes bad breath and damages the teeth. This ingredient has also proven to be a natural fighter against cavities. According to a study conducted in Finland, children who chewed gum with this ingredient saw a decline in tooth decay. To get the best benefits of Xylitol, you should chew a piece of gum three to five times a day for at least five minutes.
Got a headache?
“You use eight different facial muscles to chew,” Dr. Ben Kim told She Knows. “Unnecessary chewing can create chronic tightness in two of these muscles, located close to your temples. This can put pressure on the nerves that supply this area of your head, which can lead to chronic, intermittent headaches.”











Breath Toothpaste and Mouthwash solution. But many of my patients don’t know that my products are also developed to treat
When it comes to the mouth, there are countless reasons why taking proper care of it is pertinent to your overall health. From the social side effects of having bad breath to the condition of the mouth illnesses like gum disease leave behind, overlooking oral health can have a lasting effect on the rest of our body and mind. Luckily, many oral health issues can be remedied or reversed if they haven’t reached high severity.