Violet

by Andrea Harris

Call me Beauregarde. Violet Beauregarde.

I love gum.  I love it so much that when people ask what I’d HAVE to have if I were stranded on a desert island, I secretly wish I could say gum.  But you get funny looks if you don’t pick things like food... or water...  Nevertheless, I gotta have my gum. I snuck it in every choir class... and concert in high school and college. (Shhhh … don’t tell.)  I’m so stealthy with my gum that I can pretty much keep a piece in my mouth while I eat dinner and have it to chew later. Crazy, I know.  Every once in awhile though,  I wonder if all this gum chewing is really all that good for me.  I have perpetually minty fresh breath, but is that a good enough reason to chew?

As luck would have it, the ADA actually approves of my gum habit! They claim, “clinical studies have shown that chewing sugarless gum for 20 minutes following meals can help prevent tooth decay.

The chewing of sugarless gum increases the flow of saliva, which washes away food and other debris, neutralizes acids produced by bacteria in the mouth and provides disease-fighting substances throughout the mouth. Increased saliva flow also carries with it more calcium and phosphate to help strengthen tooth enamel.”

HALLELUJAH.

So what does that mean for me and all the other happy gum cracking folks?  It means that you can decrease the amount of tooth decay by limiting the acid you your teeth come into contact with.  After you eat, the pH of your dental plaque becomes acidic for a period of time, weakening teeth and making them susceptible to tooth decay.

Colgate cites a two-year sugarless chewing gum study conducted on a population of children from third to fifth grade in Europe. Along with non-fluoridated water and regular fluoride toothpaste use, the results after just one year showed children that chewed sugarless sorbitol gum had a 41.7 percent reduction in dental caries compared to the control group of children who did not chew the sorbitol gum.  The study also showed that chewing three pieces of sugarless chewing gum per day was not difficult to maintain.  Trust me, it’s not.  I’m more of a six to ten piece a day kinda girl myself.  Three pieces a day would list emergency rationing for me!

Naturally, the ADA suggests that while gum chewing does help cut does on dental decay, it should never replace regular brushing and flossing.  Still, I take great comfort in knowing I can have my gum and chew it, too.

4 Ways to Improve Your Breath

In each of our mouths is a village of micro-organisms and bacteria.  It's weird to think about, but keeping the balance of "good" and "bad" bacteria are part of the process that improves dental health and tackles bad breath.

Most adults have bad breath some of the time.  Particularly when the mouth is dried out like first thing in the morning or after a long flight. But 25% of people the world over, have serious, constant cases of halitosis. For those who don't fall in the "lucky" 75% (and even for the rest of us and our occasional problems), what is to be done about the bad breath?

1. Proper oral hygiene.  It is critical to brush teeth twice a day and floss daily.  But there is too much of a good thing.  Too perfect of care (brushing 5+ times per day, etc) tends to wipe out the good bacteria along with the bad. When the mouth is sterilized it actually leaves it a breeding ground for bacteria--a situation in which the bad bacteria often dominates.

2. Scrape your tongue.  We know all about brushing in tiny circles as hygienists every where have instructed for years.  We likely know about the importance of brushing our gums--lightly--and regular flossing.  But we don't often hear about the benefits of scraping out tongues--an act that sounds kinda violent and invasive. An article on the topic from the Scientific American said, "Lightly scraping away any coating on the tongue can greatly improve the fragrance of one's breath for at least a few hours."

Photo Credit: NY Times.com

3. Watch your mouth rinse.  While mouth rinses can be helpful, check the ingredients.  Rinses that contain alcohol will wipe out your good bacteria along with the bad.  And even mouth rinses geared to eliminate bad bacteria only and ruin your taste buds or leave your with a constant oral tingle. (Stay tuned.  Rinses are in the works to help maintain a better bacteria balance.)

4. Chew gum.  All sugar-free gum helps promote stronger teeth and better breath by stimulating saliva, but there are now brands using an ingredient called Xylitol, that, studies show, takes on the stinkiest and worst-for-you bacteria,s. mutens. Turns out, Europe has been using this all-natural sweetener found in fruits and veggies for years. Chewing a couple of slices a day creates positive effects in the mouth that lasts for years, notes a 2012 article in the New York Times.