Sugarless chewing gum
Sugarless chewing gum uses flavouring agents such as xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol,
aspartame, etc. Although they taste sweet, they don't contain sugar.
Sugarless chewing gum and dental caries
• Sugarless chewing gum doesn't cause dental caries because it only contains
flavouring agent which cannot be metabolised by the bacteria on our teeth.
• Chewing sugarless gum will increase the production of saliva. Saliva neutralizes
the acids produced by bacteria on our teeth and replenishes the lost minerals. Therefore,
it reduces the chance for us to get dental caries. Hence, chewing sugarless gum
can help prevent dental caries.
Points to note
• It is essential to identify whether the chewing gum we choose contains sugar
or not. Frequent use of chewing gums with sugar will not only fail to prevent dental
caries but in fact increase the chance of getting caries.
• One cannot solely rely on xylitol chewing gums to prevent dental caries.
The most effective method in preventing caries is to brush your teeth with fluoride
toothpaste every morning and at night, and to reduce the frequency of food/drinks
intake.
• Chewing gum for a long time will cause soreness in the jaw joints. It is
not advisable for people with jaw joint problem to chew gums.