If your chewing gum contains sugar, you’re basically bathing your teeth in sugar. Many sugar free gums contain acidic flavorings and preservatives that can lead to dental erosion.
Many sugar free gums contain artificial sweeteners. These sweeteners are often overlooked since you technically do not swallow the gum – however, the ingredients within the gum do enter your body through the walls of your mouth.
The two most common sweeteners in sugar free gum are aspartame and sucralose (Splenda). Aspartame metabolizes inside your body into both wood alcohol and formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is not eliminated from your body through the normal waste filtering done by your liver and kidneys. Sucralose on the other hand was approved by the FDA based on only two human studies, the longest of which lasted only four days.
When choosing a sugar free gum it’s important to choose the right type of gum. A gum that contains sugar increases your chance of developing a cavity, where the right sugar free gum can actually reduce it. A gum sweetened with xylitol has an abundance of dental benefits.
Chewing a piece of gum after eating can help clean the teeth of debris and can help neutralize that acids released by the bacteria in plaque. Chewing gum actually increases the flow of saliva, which also aids in cleaning the mouth of debris and neutralizing acids.
Gums that are sweetened with xylitol help inhibit the growth of Streptococcus mutans, one of oral bacteria that causes cavities. The cavity causing bacteria cannot metabolize xylitol, which starves them. It also creates a slick coating on the teeth, making it harder for bacteria to stick and begin its destruction.
Visit out products page to see the different brands of sugar free gums with xylitol.
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