What do you think about chewing gum for dental care?

More and more chewing gum manufacturers are advertising with chewing gums for dental care, but to what extent can the white chewing mass clean the teeth? Chewing gums as the sole form of cleaning the teeth are absolutely inadmissible, because although they can mobilize soft plaque, they cannot remove hard mineralized plaque (= tartar). Even food residues between the teeth cannot be reached by chewing gum.

Nevertheless, chewing gums can be considered to be good because chewing stimulates the flow of saliva and, especially after eating, ensures a faster neutralization of the pH-value. The buffer systems within the saliva can neutralize the acids produced by food intake and thus be a step towards caries prophylaxis. Nevertheless, chewing gum is of no help whatsoever in the event of existing acid damage to the hard tooth substance and cannot reverse the damage.

The concern of many users that chewing gum rubs off the teeth due to the granules it contains is unfounded, as the microgranules do not dissolve from the white chewing mass and the chewing gum is not bitten through. Furthermore, the various ingredients are also beneficial for a healthy oral flora. For example, the sweetener xylitol is considered a “bacterial inhibitor” because it is not broken down into acids during metabolism by the bacteria and “saturates” the bacteria. In addition, ingredients such as casein and calcium can also accumulate to a small extent in the tooth enamel, or fluoride can remineralize it. In summary, although chewing gum cannot take over the sole responsibility of oral hygiene, as an additional aid it can lead to a healthier oral flora, especially between meals.

What happens if you swallow chewing gum?

Chewing gum is almost indigestible for the human organism, which is a concern for many people who swallow it. But what exactly is the cause of these concerns?Can a lump of chewing gum form in the gastrointestinal tract that is not excreted? In general, it is not bad to swallow a chewing gum.

The stickiness it has in a dry state is destroyed in the gastrointestinal tract by the damp organ walls, which is why chewing gum moves along the digestive tract without being able to stick. Furthermore, a chewing gum is so small in diameter that it fits through any part of the digestive tract, does not block anything and is finally excreted normally. There are horror stories about huge chewing gum balls that block stomach or intestinal passages, but this is only possible in extremely excessive cases.

Provided that one chewing gum pack per day is consumed and all the chewing gum is swallowed, this exceptional case is possible. Therefore: If only one chewing gum is swallowed by mistake, you need not worry at all. Nevertheless, chewing gum should not be swallowed consciously, because it is still indigestible.

Side effects from the use of chewing gum are not to be expected. Swallowing is not dangerous. Chewing gum is not absorbed and is excreted undigested.

There is also no sticking in the digestive tract. However, too frequent chewing on only one half of the jaw can lead to harmful effects on the temporomandibular joint and should therefore be avoided. In patients who wear dentures or have dental bridges veneered with plastic, chewing gum may stick to the prosthetic restoration and be difficult to remove. However, there are chewing gums that do not have this unpleasant characteristic.