By Mark Levy | August 28, 2012 Remember when chewing gum was bad
for you? Not anymore! The American Academy of Pediatric
Dentistry, as well as the American Dental Association have
endorsed the use of chewing gums containing xylitol and
sorbitol. New research shows that the use of such chewing gum
can have a positive effect on the reduction of dental plaque.
Researcher Rosalien Keukenmeester from the Department of
Periodontology at the Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam,
led a team that reviewed six non-brushing and four brushing
studies on the effects of sugar-free chewing gum regarding
plaque formation and gum inflammation. The non-brushing studies
showed no significant results on plaque or gingival inflammation
but the brushing studies displayed a considerable effect in
supporting the use of the sugar-free chewing gum with regard to
plaque scores. So evidence shows that chewing gum can’t replace
brushing (and flossing) but adding sugar-free gum can help. How
much gum to chew, how long to chew for, and