Sugar-free gum’s role in the war on cavities

Q: Are there any oral health benefits to chewing gum? Can it lead to excessive jaw muscles?

A: In the 1930s, the Wrigley Co. sent letters to parents of young children with claims that chewing gum “is good for children’s teeth, which need more exercise than they get with modern soft food.” But there is no evidence for this claim or for any other oral health benefits of chewing the gum that was sold back then, all of which contained sugar, said Dr. Jade Miller, president of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

“Back in the ’20s and ’30s, quite honestly, there was really not a whole lot of science about whether gum had any effect on bacteria,” Miller said.

Research today suggests that chewing gum containing sugar actually increases the risk of cavities. Chewing sugar-free gum after meals, on the other hand, might help to prevent cavities by increasing the flow of saliva, which can help clear sugars and bacteria from the mouth and neutralize plaque acids.

Miller said that increased salivary flow would be particularly helpful for people who have trouble with mouth dryness. “That can be caused by a lot of medications or medical problems, and increased salivary flow can really be helpful for reducing the risk of cavities,” he said.

But young children should not be chewing gum. The American Academy of Pediatrics considers gum a choking hazard for children younger than 5.

“When a child understands they shouldn’t be swallowing — that’s the right time to allow chewing gum,” Miller said.

It is conceivable that chewing gum could strengthen the muscles in and around the mouth, but it’s not likely to have any effect on your jaw line.

“Almost all of the muscles used for mastication are not externally visible, so it wouldn’t [affect] your facial contour at all,” said Dr. John Dahl, assistant professor of otolaryngology at Indiana University School of Medicine and a surgeon at Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health.

The more likely outcome of chewing a lot of gum is that you would get a sore jaw and exacerbate pain in the temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, the hinge that connects your jaw to the bones of your skull.