Can Sugarless Gums Really Help Fight Cavities and Whiten Teeth?
Marketers of sugarless gum are attaching many health claims to their products. Consumers are taking them at their word. According to industry analysts, sales of sugarless gum far surpass sales of regular gum.
Can sugarless gums really deliver all they promise?
Let’s begin with cavities and tooth decay. According to the American Dental Association, the act of chewing stimulates saliva flow which can help reduce tooth decay. It does so by washing away acids that are produced when food gets broken down by bacteria in the plaque deposited on teeth. Saliva contains calcium and phosphate which help build enamel, strengthen teeth and prevents decay.
The acids created by bacteria can break down tooth enamel over time, giving rise to decay. Studies have shown that chewing sugarless gum after meals is particularly beneficial and can help prevent tooth decay, if chewed for at least 20 minutes.
While any type of chewing gum—sugarless or with sugar—can increase saliva flow, Dr. Mark Wolff, the Associate Dean at the NYU Medical School recommends sugarless gums because they do not help feed mouth bacteria causing tooth decay. Some sugarless gums contain xylitol, a sweetner that helps fighting cavities. However, when taken in large doses it may cause stomach irritation. But According to Dr. Wolff you need to chew tremendous amounts of gums containing xylitol to have significant effect in reducing mouth bacteria levels or to cause stomach irritation.
And does sugarless gum really whiten teeth?
ADA has given their seal, the ADA Accepted seal, to some sugarless gums. At end of March 2011, these included Dentyne Ice, Stride and Trident sugarless gums from Cadbury Adams, and Wrigley’s Extra and Orbit sugarfree gums. Although this means that the companies have shown clinical evidence of their claims, Dr. Wolff feels that on a casual basis, it is a big stretch to say that sugarless gums have a tooth whitening effect.
You can see the complete video on the interview with Dr. Wolff at the NYU Medical School website.
Other benefits of sugarless gum
Those who wish to whiten their teeth may still find sugarless chewing gum useful because they help reduce tooth sensitivity after whitening procedures carried out in dental offices.
According to a small unpublished study by Mayo Clinic researchers, sugarless gum also helped raise metabolism rates and the number of calories burned. Sugarless chewing gums would obviously prevent those calories from being reabsorbed.
According to the Nutrition ACT website compiled by the Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences of the University of Hawaii, Manoa, jaw muscles expend about 10 calories per hour while chewing. And chewing gum also tends to reduce the appetite for sweet foods, especially sweet snacks. So the jaw exercise and reduced snacking together may contribute to weight loss.
The bottomline is that, regardless of whether all the claims of the marketers are true, if you must chew gum, sugarless is a better choice.
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