Dentist Recommends Chewing Gum!

Surprised that a dentist would recommend his patients chew gum?

Well it’s not just any type of gum. It has to be gum, or sucking candy, that contains a special sugar called Xylitol. Xylitol looks and taste like regular sugar and is used as a sweetener in a variety of gums and candies.

Most gum and candy contain regular table sugar. Regular table sugar is used as a food source by decay forming bacteria in our mouths. These bacteria release an acid byproduct that eats into the surface teeth and starts the decay process.

Xylitol is a sugar that decay forming bacteria ingest but cannot metabolize and therefore, they eventually die off.  This allows healthy bacteria to flourish and increase in numbers. Studies have shown that taking in 5 to 10 grams of xylitol per day can reduce acid forming bacteria by up to 95% in 6 months. So go out and have all the xylitol sweetened gums and candy that you want and see you teeth get healthier then they have ever been.



For more information on how to keep your teeth healthly, contact Dr. James Willoughby at docwillo.com.