Studies about chewing gum provide a lot of evidence to support the idea that chewing sugar-free gum for 20 minutes or more after eating food can help you prevent tooth decay. Gum can clean your smile right after you eat, when your teeth are too sensitive for a toothbrush. Furthermore, it increases the flow of saliva to more effectively wash away food particles and plaque that are lingering on the teeth. When you have a good saliva flow, your tooth enamel can be better protected from erosion since harmful acids become neutralized and saliva is full of substances that strengthen tooth enamel, such as fluoride, phosphates and calcium.

In order to reap all the exciting benefits of chewing gum, make sure that the gum you choose is sugarless so that you aren’t adding more sugar to your smile that will feed bacteria and reduce any positive side effects of gum chewing.

It’s important that you never try to replace brushing or flossing with chewing gum, which is only intended to offer extra protection for your teeth. If you have questions about gum and your dental health in Cincinnati, Ohio, schedule a visit to Elite Cosmetic & Family Dentistry by contacting our dentist, Dr. Alexis Mai, at 513-771-5212 today.

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