Can You Chew Gum With Braces? How It Can Help Your Teeth
Braces treatment brings you a beautiful smile, but it takes a little work on your part to make it a complete success. It’s important to brush and floss your teeth regularly. You need to visit your orthodontist throughout your treatment. You also need to know what foods to avoid.
For many years, chewing gum was on the “no-no” list of foods to avoid with braces. In the last few years, orthodontists have been taking a second look at that idea, especially since some chewing gum has been shown to benefit your teeth and oral health.
Can you chew gum with braces, or is chewing gum bad for braces or for you? Can you chew gum with Invisalign? Is there such a thing as healthy chewing gum? It seems complicated, but Weaver Orthodontics can help.
When Was Chewing Gum Invented?
Have you ever wondered where chewing gum comes from? The idea of chewing gum goes back thousands of years to ancient Europeans who used to chew the bark tar from birch trees as far back as 9,000 years ago.
Ancient Mayans in South America would chew sap from a sapodilla tree called chicle, which eventually became a key ingredient in gum. Native Americans used spruce resin as chewing gum, something settlers adopted as they moved West.
While others experimented with various ingredients, it was a baking powder and soap salesman named William Wrigley Jr. who figured out he could make chicle-based gum more appealing with flavors. So in 1893, Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit and Spearmint gums were born.
Benefits of Chewing Gum
Today, there are many different types of chewing gum with different purposes, from freshening breath to providing medicine to curb the urge to smoke. Chewing gum can increase saliva production, which can wash away bacteria that cause tooth decay. Some types of chewing gum are specially made to alleviate dry mouth.
Statistics show that Americans consume an average of 1.8 pounds of gum each year — equal to about 300 sticks of gum!
Can You Chew Gum With Braces?
It’s one of the most common questions we get from patients: “Can I chew gum with braces?” For many years, the answer was a flat “no.” That’s because many types of gum back then were loaded with sugar and tended to get either very sticky or very hard when chewed for a while. Either way, the chewing gum could damage braces by pulling off brackets or breaking wires.
Sugary chewing gum adds plaque and bacteria to your teeth, which break down your teeth’s protective enamel. This hard outer shell protects your tooth’s living interior. The sugar and bits of gum would demineralize the enamel, causing white spots on your teeth once the braces were removed.
In the last few decades, different types of gum have been made that are more braces-friendly. The biggest change is sugarless gum, which doesn’t leave the sugar on your teeth to wear down your enamel. Manufacturers also figured out ways to make gum that didn’t get as hard or sticky when chewed for a long time.
Mr. Wrigley’s company came up with gum that was made to be less sticky. He designed it to allow people with dentures, crowns, or fillings to chew gum without having the gum damage their dental work. It was called Freedent, and it’s still manufactured today. Unfortunately, it’s not recommended for braces because it isn’t sugar free.
Many brands of sugarless gum are now considered “orthodontics-friendly gum.” Gums from Orbit, Pur, or Trident are considered soft enough to keep from damaging your braces. They’re also sweetened with an ingredient called Xylitol, which studies have shown can help keep bacteria from growing and attacking your teeth.
Chewing gum while wearing braces has become more common in the last few years, so long as you’re chewing sugar free gum.
Can You Chew Gum With Invisalign?
If you can chew gum with braces, can you chew gum with Invisalign or Angel Aligners? While you can chew gum with clear aligners treatment, you can’t chew it with the clear aligners in your mouth. You need to remove them first.
If you decide to chew gum with clear aligners, be sure it’s only for a short time, and brush your teeth before putting your aligners back on your teeth. Remember, you need to wear your clear aligners at least 20-22 hours a day for them to be fully effective. Chewing gum reduces that time. Too many minutes chewing gum can add up to a delay in your treatment time.
What If I Get Gum in My Braces?
What happens if you have gum sticking to your braces brackets or wires? Try brushing the gum off gently using a soft-bristled toothbrush. You might also try removing the gum with dental floss. Just be careful not to pull off a wire or bracket.
If the gum is still sticking to your braces, dab it with a bit of olive oil and wait a few minutes. This will make the gum slippery and help you remove it from the wire or bracket. You can do this with other oils as well, such as coconut oil or even cooking oil.
What Happens If You Swallow Chewing Gum?
While some added ingredients in gum will break down, the synthetic rubbery substance used as the basis for gum will not digest.
Does that mean gum is dangerous to swallow? In most cases, the answer is no. The gum will simply pass through your digestive system and be expelled, usually within 24 hours. The only danger would be if the gum was accidentally inhaled into the lungs or if the gum was large enough to cause an intestinal blockage.
It is very rare for either of these to happen. However, if you inhale your gum or if you experience abdominal pain after swallowing gum, you should seek medical attention immediately.
Choosing the Right Chewing Gum
In general, we prefer our patients don’t spend too much time chewing gum. There is a chance even the “safe” gum can damage braces, and chewing gum for extended periods can reduce your clear aligners treatment time.
If you want to chew gum with braces, look for gum that is sugar-free and recommended by dentists and orthodontists as safe for dental work. If you’re unsure what to choose in Swampscott, MA, Weaver Orthodontics can help you choose the right gum for your braces — and the right braces treatment for you!
