I chewed gum for 7 hours a day... now I need an op to fix my jaw

WHEN Claire Embleton started chewing gum after meals, she thought she was keeping her mouth healthy.

But the mother of four now faces major jaw replacement surgery – after wearing out her joints by chewing for up to seven hours a day.

The 38-year-old could be left with scars after surgeons insert metal plates into the side of her face. And she has banned her children, who are aged between two and 16, from chewing gum – even her preferred sugar-free variety.

‘When doctors told me chewing had overworked my jaw and worn out the joints, I was shocked,’ the IT manager said. ‘I always believed chewing gum was healthy. I chewed it after eating and only ever had sugarfree brands. I never imagined it could be so damaging.’

Mrs Embleton, who is married to Daniel, 40, had used gum for around five years before she started feeling a clicking in her jaw in 2013.

‘I suppose it had become a habit – I was chewing for five hours a day in the week,’ she said. ‘At weekends it could be as much as seven hours.’

She initially ignored the unusual feeling in her face – until her mouth suddenly locked shut last year.

‘One minute I was laughing and chatting normally – the next my jaw had locked almost shut,’ she said. ‘It was incredibly painful.’

Mrs Embleton was referred to a consultant at Aintree University Hospital near her home in Liverpool, who diagnosed her with a condition known as Temporomandibular Joint Disorder.

She stopped chewing gum – but after months of physiotherapy, she was still unable to open her mouth more than 1cm.

The mother is now due to have jaw replacement surgery later this month – and believes warnings should be put on gum packets to highlight the dangers. ‘I have difficulty talking and can hardly eat,’ she said. ‘This has been a nightmare and I don’t want anyone else to suffer as I have.’

Damien Walmsley, from the British Dental Association, said: ‘In moderation chewing sugar- free gum, especially after a meal, can benefit oral health by stimulating saliva production which helps neutralise acid.

‘But excessive strain on the jaw can lead to problems ranging from stiffness to headaches and difficulty in movement.’

‘It became a habit’