Many patients enjoy chewing gum as a hobby or a quick way to freshen their breath, but most patients aren’t aware that chewing sugar-free gum can also enhance dental health and keep smiles clean. It can be used in conjunction with brushing and flossing your teeth every day to improve your oral health and freshen your breath. If you are interested in improving the cleanliness of your smile, try chewing sugar-free gum to prevent cavities and strengthen tooth enamel.
Many professional dental studies about chewing gum have delivered evidence to report that taking 20 minutes to chew a piece of sugar-free gum after mealtime can improve the condition of your teeth. Oftentimes, the food you eat can leave your teeth too sensitive to be cleaned with abrasive toothpaste and toothbrushes, but chewing gum is gentle enough to clear your smile of harmful substances. One of the benefits of gum is that it produces more saliva to flush away plaque and food particles, reduce the effects of harmful acids on the tooth enamel and provide substances such as phosphates, calcium and fluoride to improve the enamel.
You can achieve this effect with any gum, but we urge against chewing sugary gum, as this allows the bacteria in your mouth to thrive and undo any positive health effects. You also should not chew gum in place of brushing or flossing your teeth since gum is not effective enough to fully clean your smile and will only help your other dental care habits.
Contact our office at 801-756-7211 today and schedule your visit with our dentist, Dr. David Blackhurst, if you have further concerns about improving oral health in American Fork, Utah.