Do you enjoy chewing on a piece of gum after lunch? If so, you could actually be doing more than protecting your coworkers’ from the offensive smell of that garlic bread you had with your pasta. Research indicates that chewing sugar-free gum can actually be an effective way of helping to prevent dental decay. So, if you already have a habit of chewing gum, simply making sure to select sugar-free varieties could do your smile and your breath good. And if you’ve yet to get into the habit, of having a piece of gum after meals, here are some reasons general dentists suggest you start.

Gum Can Certainly Be Good for Your Smile

Dentists have long recognized that saliva is an important part of oral care. The saliva you naturally produce helps to limit plaque bacteria’s ability to calcify onto the surface of teeth, and also helps neutralize their acidity. Saliva production, is therefore, a helpful way to prevent cavities, gum disease and other dental issues created or worsened by acidic erosion.

So, Just How Does Gum Help?

The act of chewing gum helps to produce more saliva, and it can also help rinse food particles and bacteria from the surface of teeth between brushings. While dentists have long recommended chewing sugar-free gum after meals, for this very reason, a recent study conducted by Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry and published in the British Dental Journal has indicated just how extensively chewing gum could help prevent dental problems!

The study indicated that simply having 12-year-olds in the UK chew gum after meals, snacks and any beverages other than water, could actually help save the National Health Service over $8 million Euros a year, in dental treatments. By reducing the risk of cavities and other dental problems, requiring fillings, crowns, and eventually prosthetic replacements, the study indicated that chewing gum could be a cost effective way to better preserve the pre-teens’ oral health moving forward into adulthood.

So, if you want to do all you can to care for your smile, consider chewing a piece of sugar-free gum after each meal. It’s a simple act that could be hugely beneficial, combined with your regular dental hygiene routine, and bi-annual checkups as well!