Is mint gum bad for your teeth

Not all of us appreciate chewing gum, especially when you have to watch or listen to someone's constantly rotating jaw.

But did you know the chewing habit can be good for your teeth if you choose the right sort of gum?

Chewing of any kind increases the production of saliva, which protects your teeth by keeping them clean and by helping to strengthen the enamel, says Laurence Walsh from the University of Queensland School of Dentistry.

However, chewing regular gum that contains sugar offsets that advantage because the sugar increases your risk of cavities.

Sugar-free gum, on the other hand, can be a great choice and can actually benefit your teeth, as long as you choose the right type, says Professor Walsh.

"There is now very good evidence that [certain] sugar-free gum has positive benefits on dental health, above and beyond other measures such as using fluoride toothpaste and fluoridated water," he says.

The key is to avoid citrus flavours like orange, lemon or lime as these contain acids that damage your teeth in other ways.

Other flavours of sugar-free gum, such as mint, are a great choice, though.

Chewing a 'gym workout' for your mouth

Professor Walsh suggests that chewing non-citrus sugar-free gum is a bit like going to the gym for your mouth.

Just as strength training leads to larger-sized muscle fibres, chewing gum makes your saliva gland cells larger and more efficient.

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This means you not only create more saliva while chewing the gum, but also during 'rest periods' when you're not chewing anything.

It's during these rest periods that saliva has a big influence on the kinds of bacteria growing in your mouth.

Chewing the right sugar-free gum can also help those at high risk of tooth decay, such as teenagers, whose diet is often not as good as it should be.

People who drink a lot of soft drinks or sports drinks and those whose saliva production is affected by medication, exercise or lifestyle would also benefit.

Stay away from citrus-flavoured gum

But chewing orange, lemon or lime-flavoured sugar-free gum undoes all the benefits you would otherwise get from all the chewing-induced extra saliva, Professor Walsh explains.

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While these acidic flavours give chewing gum a vibrant taste, they react with calcium in our saliva, reducing its ability to keep tooth enamel strong.

"It's best to avoid any sugar-free gums that have citrus components," he says.

These could be labelled as 'food acid' additives, with codes such as 330, which is citric acid.

But they are also generally easy to spot because manufacturers tend to fill the packaging with images of citrus fruits to appeal to consumers who love their sharp, biting taste, he adds.

Some gums can slow tooth decay

Professor Walsh suggests that if you want to chew gum that's really good for your teeth, you should try sugar-free gum with special milk proteins, which carry and release calcium and phosphate, minerals needed to repair teeth.

Research has found gum containing these proteins, known as CPP-ACP (casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate), can slow the process of tooth decay.

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There are a number of different brands with these proteins and they are often more expensive than other sugar-free gum.

"Where decay is early and has not yet broken into a large cavity, this gum can slow down the decay process," Professor Walsh says.

"This is important because until a cavity forms, the decay process is reversible.

"This technology is a clever way of reversing decay and returning the structure of teeth to as good, or even better than what it originally was."

You can buy this special gum online or get it from your dentist. In some countries outside Australia, like Japan, it's popular enough to be sold at supermarket checkouts.

However, CPP-ACP-containing gum should not be used by anyone who is known to be allergic to milk proteins.

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Don't throw away your toothbrush

Chewing sugar-free gum can be a useful add-on to an oral health routine, but don't throw away your toothbrush just yet!

You still need to brush and floss daily to remove plaque from your teeth.

And avoid chewing any gum if you already have health conditions involving jaw joint pains or have other reasons to avoid chewing for extended periods.

This is general information only. For detailed personal advice you should see a qualified medical practitioner who knows your medical history.

This story, which was originally written by Sue Jackson and published on ABC Health & Wellbeing, was updated in 2019.

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