As Halloween approaches, children are sure to gain access to countless lumps of sugary bubblegum from trick-or-treating. Gum chewing has a reputation of being bad for your teeth. Even sugarless gum, when chewed excessively, can lead to tempormandibular joint disorder (TMD) in some patients. Your Houston dentist, Dr. Gennero, has some information that can allow you have your gum, and chew it too.
Switch to Sugarless Gum to Prevent Tooth Decay
If you are going to chew gum regularly, choose sugarless varieties. Of all of the sweet treats likely to end up in your child’s plastic pumpkin on Halloween night, gum made with sugar is one of the worst culprits for causing tooth decay. Chewing sugary gum gives longer exposure to the harmful effects that sucrose causes your teeth. The good news is you can swap out all of that bubblegum for a sugar-free facsimile that will make all of you happy, and ensure healthy smiles.
Check Your Gum for Xylitol
The obvious benefit of sugar-free gum is that it won’t feed the bacteria in your mouth that produce acid and soften tooth enamel. Further benefits you may not realize include removing microscopic food particles between teeth, and increasing the production of saliva. Saliva actually acts as a cleaning agent for your teeth throughout the day, washing away bacteria and neutralizing acid. Choosing gum with the sugar alternative xylitol gives even more benefits to gum chewers. Xylitol traps Streptococcus mutans, the bacteria that cause tooth decay, and essentially starves them.
Avoid Contributing to TMJ Disorder
The second requirement for healthy gum chewing is to spit it out. Once you pop a piece of gum in your mouth, pay attention to the time. Make sure that you do not chew gum for more than 15 minutes at a time. Chewing gum for any longer can actually put stress on your jaw muscles. Excessive jaw muscle tension leads to dental health conditions such as TMJ disorder and teeth grinding.
Remember, though chewing sugarless gum has several pros for your oral health, don’t chew anything for longer than 15 minutes at a time. If you stress your jaw muscles too much, you can end up with irritating and sometimes painful conditions like teeth grinding and TMD. If you are suffering from any dental issues or just need a checkup, contact our Houston dentist office at (281)578-6200. We are proud to offer comprehensive dentistry to patients from Clear Lake to The Woodlands, including Katy, West Houston, Sugarland, the 77084 zip code, and surrounding neighborhoods.
