Fighting Tooth Decay with Sugar-Free Gum
Chewing sugar-free gum may be a great tool to help fight tooth decay in children.
According to research out of King’s College in London, chewing sugar-free gum produces the same effects that help prevent tooth decay. Chewing gum increases the saliva flow, which can act as a natural barrier to protect teeth. Sugar-free gum may also contain antibacterial ingredients which helps fight and prevent tooth decay.
This systematic review analyzed studies published between 1946 and 2018 and identified a dozen different studies that explored the effects of chewing sugar-free gum. Most of the subjects in the studies were children between the age of 4 to 14 and they found that sugar-free gum reduced the advancement of tooth decay and to some degree prevented it.
Further research is in the works to determine if this information could help develop national policy directives in the future.
Learn more about this study in Journal of Dental Research Clinical & Transitional Research.
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