Chewing gum for many is a familiar and convenient part of everyday life, which helps to maintain the health and beauty of the teeth. But in order for its use to be beneficial, it is important to know both about its positive properties and disadvantages.
What can be said about chewing gum and its benefits in general
The simplest chewing gum from tree resins (larch, mastic pistachio) and beeswax were known in the Ancient World, but even in 1848 the experiments on its creation were not much different from the past and only in the 70s of the same century there was a breakthrough with a change in technology and composition of the product - rubber and flavoring agents appeared in it (which manufacturers do not refuse today).
Today, any chewing gum is an inedible elastic base that softens in the mouth (while a good product never crumbles and does not stick excessively to the teeth and gums) and retains consistency and plasticity for a long time.
The gum assortment is amazing - from classic fruit to smoked fish, there are gums with added medicines (for example, for sore throat) and optimized for inflating bubbles.
First of all, it is worth noting that not a single chewing gum can clean teeth as well as toothbrushes and flosses - it is far from completely removed:
• remaining food particles and contaminants, like traces of sauces and drinks from the chewing surface of teeth (and partly from their gaps);
• plaque, which accumulates over time is converted to tartar.
In addition, during the use of chewing gum, a kind of “massage” of the gums occurs, which improves blood circulation in them, and also actively releases saliva, normalizing the acid-base balance, which prevents the development of pathogenic microflora.
In addition to brushing your teeth, chewing gum is often expected:
• Refreshes breath. In most cases, the product acts on the principle of overlapping with a pleasant smell of bad and only certain varieties fight the cause itself (if it is not caused by diseases of the teeth or stomach), due to the content of antibacterial components;
• Whitens enamel. In this, the benefits of chewing gum are far behind the effectiveness of most other products used for similar purposes - the product does not apply an artificial “pearl” coating and does not destroy hard pigmented deposits. But, it is worth admitting, it removes fresh coloring elements well, say, from coffee or cherry.
As for the protection against caries, then, in fact, not a single chewing gum will provide it perfectly. Any of its components can have nothing more than a preventive effect, but are powerless against an already developed disease.
How else is the benefits of chewing gum
Continuous chewing of the sweet mass of gum naturally sends a signal to the stomach, in which gastric juice begins to be produced to digest food. Plus, chewing gum stimulates the salivary glands, the secret of which, going down the esophagus when swallowing, is also useful for speedy digestion.
Chewing gum with refreshing flavors (mint, citrus fruits) often helps with motion sickness, stuffy ears, dizziness, and nausea in vehicles.
Sometimes people note that the process of using chewing gum helps them focus on the task currently being performed or even makes it easier to remember new information, but even more often chewing gum helps smooth out fresh impressions of stress and prevent an outbreak of panic or irritability.
What is the harm of chewing gum?
Children's dentists insist on the dangers of being carried away by chewing gum when changing milk teeth to permanent teeth - this is fraught with their distorted location in periodontal tissues and the formation of an incorrect bite.
Yes, and for adults, such constant and essentially meaningless loads are not useful, especially if there is a habit of holding chewing gum on one side (which increases the tension of the jaw muscles), they can turn into dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint, the symptoms of which include:
• headache and toothache;
• noise in ears;
• dizziness;
• clicks and discomfort in the joint itself.
Excessive enthusiasm for chewing gum can also result in dysfunction of the salivary glands, as a result of which saliva is constantly produced in a volume larger than necessary.
If there are orthopedic constructions in the mouth (crowns, prostheses, braces, temporary and permanent fillings) about the advisability and harmlessness of chewing gum, it is necessary to consult a dentist, as there is a risk of something to ruin with this sweet piece, and in case of braces - imperceptibly shift them, which will lead to a curvature of the dentition.
To avoid serious harm, chewing gum is contraindicated shortly after operations on the gums and with dental diseases accompanied by:
• acute pain;
• edema;
• inflammation.
The aforementioned reaction of the stomach to the chewing gum turns out to be harmful if it is taken not after food and not shortly before it, that is, in cases when the body is forced to work in vain, as a result of which the gastric juice adversely affects (“corrodes”) the walls of the organ. Plus, in some people, fasting gum provokes burping, in which the aggressive effect of gastric juice can affect the esophagus.
Do not hope to cheat yourself with chewing gum while dieting - it will not only not replace food, but will also contribute to the stimulation of appetite.
In addition, such a readiness of the body to eat, when it does not occur, is fraught with the development of the inability to saturate at a normal rate (tendency to overeat).
Chewing gum should be in a calm environment, not on the run, without doing anything, which would imply the need for an instant reaction, since, according to statistics, unfortunately, it is quite easy to choke with the most sad consequences.
How to use chewing gum without harm
Without harm to the stomach and even with the benefits mentioned for it, chewing gum can be used within 1-1.5 hours after a hearty meal (so much time is spent on its complete digestion), and it is recommended to send it to the mouth not strictly after the last piece, and 10-20 minutes after the end of the meal.
One gum is allowed to be chewed for 5-10 minutes, if you still need to, it is better to take a new one, but microbes accumulate on the used one after this time and in fact, leaving it in the oral cavity, you can only achieve their return to the gums, teeth and mucous membranes, in addition, “warmed up” with the previously mentioned chewing load.
And of course, “treating” chewing gum does not eliminate the need for a daily morning and evening home care program for your teeth with paste and other things.
The subject of particularly heated debate is artificial additives in chewing gums - from sweeteners and dyes to preservatives, about which little is often known to the consumer. But it is not necessary at all, before trying chewing gum, to go deep into highly specialized materials.
According to statistics, modern large global companies producing chewing gum are meticulous about the quality of products, so it is better to simply give preference to their products.
