Pediatric Dentistry of Garden City
516-222-5100
Although there is a negative connotation on gum chewing and the effects it has on your teeth, the American Dental Association (ADA) has placed its’ ADA Seal of approval on a few types of sugarless gum.
Chewing gum has been viewed as a kind of candy, which turns parents and dentists off from the product. This category of the ADA Seal recognizes chewing gum that has demonstrated scientifically that it can protect the teeth! According to the ADA, the physical act of chewing increases the flow of saliva in your mouth. If you chew gum after eating, the increased salivary flow can help neutralize and was away the acids that are produced when food is broken down by the bacteria in plaque on your teeth. Increased saliva flow also carries with it more calcium and phosphate to help strengthen tooth enamel.
Clinical studies have shown that chewing sugarless gum for about 20 minutes following meals can help prevent tooth decay. Look for chewing gum that has the ADA Seal of approval, which gives you assurance that the product has been objectively evaluated for safety and effectiveness by an independent body of scientific experts, the ADA Council on Scientific Affairs. You can trust that claims made on packaging and labeling for ADA-Accepted products are true, because the companies must verify all of the information with the ADA.
A company earns the ADA Seal for its product by showing with scientific evidence that the chewing gum is effective for one or more specific indications, such as reducing plaque acids, promoting remineralization of tooth enamel, reducing cavities and/or reducing gingivitis. The studies must also show that the gum is safe to oral tissues.Choose sugarless gum with the ADA Seal, such as Dentyne Ice Sugarless Gum, Stride Sugarless Gum, Trident Sugarfree Gum, Wrigley’s Extra Sugarfree Gum and Wrigley’s ORBIT Sugarfree Gum. These are sweetened by non-cavity causing sweeteners such as aspartame, sorbitol or mannitol. Chewing sugarless gum has been shown to increase the flow of saliva, thereby reducing plaque acid, strengthening the teeth and reducing tooth decay.
Before you trade your tooth brush for a pack of gum, realize that chewing gum is an adjunct to brushing and flossing, not a substitute.
No comments:
Post a Comment