Is Chewing Gum Bad for Your Oral Health?

You’ve probably heard all kinds of claims about chewing gum and your oral health. Some gum companies tout their products' ability to reduce cavities, while dental associations warn you away from sugary treats, like gum, which cause cavities.

Like many things in life, chewing gum isn’t necessarily bad for your teeth, but it isn’t particularly good for them either.

The oral health benefits of chewing gum

Before we go over the benefits of gum chewing, it’s important to understand that gum with sugar is bad for your teeth. If you are chewing gum with sugar in it, the cons are much higher than any pros could be.

With that out of our way, let’s assume you’re chewing sugar-free gum.

Gum can help clean your teeth

After finishing a large meal, there are usually very small bits of food stuck between your teeth, or under your gums – even if you can’t feel and your friend confirms your smile is spotless. These tiny pieces of food breed bacteria that create plaque, which produces the acid that leads to tooth decay.

However, chewing gum after a meal stimulates the production of saliva that washes away this acid and even some of those small food particles. 

This can decrease your chance of cavities.

Gum can help sweeten your breath

Another benefit of that excess saliva production is it can help you get rid of bad breath. Halitosis, or bad breath, is caused by bacteria in your mouth. But, that excess saliva helps to wash out the bacteria, creating fresher breath. And, of course, a minty scent can help to mask any bad breath that still lingers in your mouth.

The cons of chewing gum

The name of the game with chewing gum is moderation. As long as you don’t chew your gum too much, or for too long (and it’s not full of sugar) you’re probably good. But, if you don’t follow those rule(s) of thumb, chewing gum can lead to a variety of problems.

Sugary Gum Can Cause Tooth Decay

This is the second time we mentioned this, but it bears repeating: gum with sugar in it creates a sugary mouth wash that your teeth bath in for as long as you chew your gum. This creates the perfect environment for plaque to create the acid that attacks your tooth enamel. Eventually, this will cause cavities. If you do chew sugary gum, make sure to brush your teeth afterward, or at least do a quick swish of mouthwash to get rid of all that acid and sugar.

Gum Can Irritate Your Jaw

The temporomandibular joint (or TMJ) is where your jaw joins with your skull. If you already have a TMJ disorder, chewing gum can exacerbate it. If you don’t already suffer from a TMJ disorder, this shouldn’t bother you. However, if you chew primarily on one side of your mouth, or chew gum until your jaw is tired and sore, it can put you at greater risk of developing a TMJ disorder.

Gum Can Wear on Your Teeth

Just like any chewing, chewing on gum wears your teeth. So, excess gum chewing will lead to excess enamel wear. Without that enamel, your teeth are more vulnerable to decay and cavities.

Chewing gum is a mixed bag

While you may have started reading this hoping chewing gum is as beneficial as the commercials say, it’s not. However, it’s not as bad as eating other candies either. 

While we wouldn’t recommend anyone start a habit of chewing gum, we’re not going to tell you to quit either. As long as you make sure your gum is sugar-free and you don’t end up chewing it for hours on end (or until you get a headache) chewing gum is a largely harmless habit.