If your children love chewing gum, you may be excited to lean about a new study from the University of Groningen in Holland. According to the study’s authors, chewing gum for 10 minutes after eating can remove up to 100 million bacteria from the mouth – bacteria that is linked to bad breath, tooth, decay, and gum disease. Maybe now is a good time to start encouraging your children to chew sugar-free gum after eating – in the interest of oral health, of course.
However, before you encourage nonstop chomping of gum, keep this in mind: the study’s authors found 10 minutes to be the optimal amount of time to chew gum after eating. Any more and the bacteria are re-deposited onto the teeth.
Garner family dentist Dr. Adam Moore encourages children to take a combined approach for optimal oral health. This can absolutely include the chewing of sugar-free gum, but must also include brushing and flossing at least twice a day, and routine visits to our office for cleanings and check-ups. If you or your children have questions about fun ways to maintain oral health, Dr. Moore would be happy to address those during your next appointment.
To schedule your next appointment at our Garner, North Carolina office, please contact Moore Family Dentistry today.
