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Do you occasionally look around as you sneak a piece of gum out of its wrapper and into your mouth? Have you been wondering if someone’s going to catch you and yell out, “Gotcha! You shouldn’t be chewing that!” because it’s bad for your smile? If so, your Riverside dentist wants to discuss chewing gum with you. As we learn from many of our patients, you might be a bit uncertain that there’s a way to enjoy gum safely (and another way to enjoy it with potential hazards). Get ready for some easy-to-understand guidelines.

Sugarless Is Safe

Your Riverside dentist explains, if you read the ingredients of your gum and it is free of sugar, you’re in the clear. If you read the ingredients and sugar is on the list, you aren’t. The easy rule of thumb here is to choose only sugarless gum. Why? Sugar leads to tooth decay, simple as that. It is best to avoid chewing something that coats your teeth in sugar.

Sugarless gum, on the other hand, can offer you some very exciting benefits. Thanks to some advances in your options (there are a lot of flavors and brands out there) you can expect gum without sugar to taste quite sweet and enjoyable, so give it a try! As for the benefits, gum can actually help you keep your oral health in good shape by reducing plaque and food, thereby guarding against decay.

Xylitol Is Extra Helpful

This is a type of sugar alcohol, a sweetener often used in gum that is sweet and happens to be good for your teeth. This is in contrast to the table sugar discussed previously. Your Riverside dentist suggests looking for gum that contains xylitol because in addition to it tasting good, it can protect your teeth from plaque adhesion (fortunately, the bacteria in plaque don’t feed on xylitol).

Riverside Dental Group and Dental Associate Offices Serves a Community Near You!

Our dentists look forward to caring for you and every member of your family with a comprehensive selection of services. We will maintain and improve your oral health with a wide range of preventive, cosmetic, restorative, implant, and emergency dentistry techniques. We also specialize in endodontics, periodontics, oral surgery, and orthodontics, serving patients from Riverside, Temecula, Moreno Valley, Corona, and all surrounding California communities. To schedule an appointment, contact one of the following locations nearest to you:

Riverside Dental Group at Magnolia in Riverside, CA at (951) 689-5031.

Dental Associates of Moreno Valley in Moreno Valley, CA at (951) 697-6800.

Riverside Dental Group at Woodcrest in Riverside, CA at (951) 776-9001.

Oasis Family Dental in Temecula, CA at (951) 695-2290.

Dental Associates of Riverside in Riverside, CA at (951) 369-1001.

Dental Associates of Corona in Corona, CA at (951) 273-9580.