Dental Monthly
MAY 2025 edition #46
I am just chewing gum…
It is not very elegant to see a person chewing gum.
Because people tend to chew in a certain way. With intension, enjoyment and delight. Grinding with a rotary movement, the whole jaw and ergo, face is in movement. A release and satisfaction for you maybe, but it is definitely not nice to look at….. and it reminds me of the cows in Holland, who are always re-chewing their food for hours.
Why are we chewing gums?
1/People tend to use chewing gum because they are unable to brush their teeth after a meal and that is ok. But, it certainly does not substitute tooth brushing and that still needs to be done at least twice a day thoroughly.
2/There are those who use gum as an anti-stress, maybe because they stopped smoking or in substitution of another damaging habit
(see DM #45 I am only biting my nails)…
3/People who do not want to eat food for dietary reasons, might want to use chewing gum to forget pangs of hunger.
4/Some people think that it removes bad breath, or the odour of alcohol or cigarettes, which is not true. It gives only a different taste in your mouth. The breath stays unchanged.
When I am talking about its big advantage, of course I am talking about sugar-free chewing gum in comparison to other candies:
The moment you start chewing, there is a feeling of freshness and flow of saliva in the mouth, because it definitely stimulates the salivary glands to augment and produce a great amount of saliva. This is very positive, because it protects teeth against cavities and gums from inflammation.
The disadvantage is a part from the apparent lack of elegance, for those who often use chewing gum:
The Excessive rotary movements force the joint to work overtime in an abnormal way. The masseter muscles the sides of your cheek will become big and strong as those of an athlete, like a soccer player. But then also like the career of a soccer player, the capacity to chew that much lasts not very long, before you start to develop pain and damage in the whole jaw articulation.
1/Mostly because of excessive wear of the joint’s cartilage. A type of arthrosis can set in and then you will have a really big problem. Because that hurts so much and will limit mouth opening and chewing regular food, like biting an apple becomes even a problem.
2/Secondly it may lead again because of the damage to the joint to severe headache
3/Excessive enamel wear resulting shortening and sensitivity of your teeth
At Studio Moll we actually treat patients who have the habit of chewing gum constantly. We found that it is mandatory to use the conscious sedation to resolve the limited mouth opening.
We use furthermore Botox to relax the masseter muscle that will also reduce the pain in the joints. Unfortunately, once the arthrosis has set in there is little we can do to avoid further wear of the joint’s cartilage. The patient is always advised to interrupt the gum chewing forever.
As promised in the former Dental Monthly on nail biting I wanted to write about Chewing Gum. And my final message is :
That you can use chewing gum with moderation. Don’t overdo it. Don’t make it become a damaging and addictive habit, because you will hurt yourself.
For more information or any other Dental question do reach out to Elena at one of the WIN meetings or call 055-755347 or Whatsapp 331-6368628
Follow us on our social media and look up the reviews.
Reference Dental Monthly Articles
- Only Biting my nails
- Botox for bruxism
- Do I have Bad breath
- Conscious sedation: A Dental Trip to Paradise and Back
BIO
Studio Moll Contact Details and Social Media
Whatsapp: 331-6368628 | Tel: 055-755347
www.dental-studiomoll.com | info@dental-studiomoll.com
For more information, look up Studio Moll’s YouTube channel and here too.
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By Dr. Elena Speranza Moll
Studio Moll
Via Amilcare Ponchielli 21B, 50018 Scandicci –Firenze
Tel: 055-755347
WhatsApp: 331-6362682
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