Written by Nahair Abdel Nabi Monday, July 31, 2023 10:00 am
You might think chewing gum Good for your health, or I heard somewhere that it is good for your teeth, but dentistry and jaws have another opinion, as dentist Karen Khan urges you to think carefully before chewing gum because gum may pose great risks to the jaw and teeth.
According to the Mayoclinic website, jaw movement occurs by the temporomandibular joint, which is located in front of each of the ears, and a group of muscles support this joint, as it brings the jaws together so that you can chew and move the jaw from side to side.
Normally, a person chews food to break down the bite into smaller pieces to make it easier to swallow, but when you chew gum, you only chew for the sake of chewing, so dentists consider that chewing gum has a semi-functional role, or outside the normal function.
Non-functional habits, as described by Dr. Khan, including chewing gum, may cause temporal jaw disorders, or make his health condition worse, and continuous chewing of gum leads to increased pressure on the temporomandibular joint, muscles, and teeth, which causes excessive stress, imbalance and dental occlusion, and may also cause:
Crackling sensation in one or both temporomandibular joints.
Headache.
jaw pain
Teeth break.
For some people, this slight shift in their temporomandibular joint can cause severe pain when moving the jaw. Anyone with TMJ should avoid gum altogether.
In general, it is recommended to limit chewing gum to no more than 15 minutes a day, to avoid jaw problems.
Is chewing gum benefits?
To avoid harming oral health, the first sugar-free chewing gum was introduced to the market in the 1960s. Sugar-free gum contains artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, stevia, xylitol, and sorbitol, which do not contribute to tooth decay.
In fact, research suggests that chewing sugar-free gum may have some benefits. For example, chewing gum leads to the production of saliva, which improves oral health by getting rid of stuck-on food particles and sequestering acids produced by bacteria in the mouth.
But Dr. Khan warns against chewing gum as a substitute for regular brushing after meals and other oral health habits, and that the best way to maintain dental health is to brush after every meal and floss once a day.
Chewing gum may also help in cases of dry mouth, but it is not the best way. Dry mouth is a common condition that occurs when the mouth does not produce enough saliva, which causes bad breath and tooth decay.
Does chewing gum relieve stress?
Many people use chewing gum to help them feel calm and focused during a test or to resist a tempting snack, but scientific evidence is a bit mixed. There is no concrete evidence that gum has an effect on mental health, focus, or appetite.
If a person feels that chewing gum has some benefits, he should weigh these benefits against potential negative effects, and try to find other ways to relieve stress and improve concentration.
2023-07-31 07:00:00
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