Sugar free gum is part of a good dental routine
Chewing sugar free gum after eating or drinking is clinically proven to complement a healthy oral care routine.
It stimulates the body’s most important natural defence against tooth decay – saliva – which, in turn helps protect your teeth by:
Restoring pH balance in the mouth, neutralising plaque acids. Helping to clear away food debris that may have lodged in teeth and gums there by reducing the amount of time teeth are exposed to a potentially acidogenic challenge, which can lead to weakening of tooth enamel. Naturally remineralises acid spots on teeth, as the minerals in saliva are supersaturated with the same minerals found in teeth.
Chewing sugar free gum helps with digestion
Over the past three decades, more than 100 independent studies have been published. The crown jewel discovery from this bank of credible research is that chewing sugar free gum helps to stimulate saliva by 10 per cent.
What happens in the mouth after eating and drinking?
Plaque is a soft, sticky substance made up of bacteria, which forms in the mouth building up near gums and between teeth. After eating and drinking bacterial plaque forms, producing plaque acids that lower the pH in the mouth to dangerously low levels, increasing the risk of tooth decay.
The primary challenge to oral and dental health originates from the foods we eat. The carbohydrates we consume are used by the bacteria in plaque found on tooth surfaces. These bacteria generate organic acids that lower the pH level of the oral cavity.
As the pH drops below 5.7, the acids from the bacterial fermentation begin to dissolve minerals on the tooth surface, creating a demineralised subsurface lesion. These reversible lesions are clinically described as ‘white spots’. The low pH state can last hours after eating occasions. Over time, the acid can dissolve areas of the tooth and create a cavity that must be filled. Increased saliva flow can accelerate the clearance of food debris and dietary carbohydrates from the mouth and has been documented by several researchers.
