Is Chewing Gum Bad for Teeth?

You may have heard mixed messages about chewing gum. Is it bad for your teeth? Is it good for your teeth? The answer is, it depends on what type of gum you chew!

Gum can be classified by how it’s sweetened:

With Sugar
With Artificial Sweeteners (Aspartame)
With Sugar Alcohols (Sorbitol, Xylitol)

When you are chewing gum with sugar, it has two phases. The first lasts about ten minutes, when the sugar is released into your mouth while chewing the gum. The bacteria in your mouth love to feed off this sugar! The second phase occurs after all the sugar has been swallowed. You are still chewing the gum which promotes saliva. The saliva promotes remineralization of your teeth enamel!

When chewing gum with artificial sugars, you eliminate the first phase. You will only produce saliva which can protect your teeth!

Chewing gum with sugar alcohols, like xylitol is one of the best choices! You get the benefits of chewing gum with artificial sweeteners. In addition, you will also get the cavity fighting power of xylitol.

Now you have a better idea of what type of gum to choose! Remember chewing gum helps saliva flow, which can help protect your teeth!

– Niagara Periodontics Team