The ancient Egyptians, the Aztecs and the early Native Americans all used to chew on tree resin, an early version of today’s chewing gum. ‘Chicle’ was enjoyed for its flavour and may have also been used for teeth-cleaning. The Egyptians also chewed on natron pellets in order to freshen the breath. Listening to advertisements on television about how chewing gum can help to prevent tooth decay and can be used instead of or alongside brushing your teeth, you would think that these ancient populations were on to something with the gum-chewing. Certainly they discovered something pleasurable, but is chewing gum really an effective way to clean your teeth?
Modern science says no. A review of the facts and fiction of gum-chewing found several studies that investigated how well gum worked to get rid of plaque and cut down on the food stuck between your teeth. In a study from the 1960s that examined plaque scores for ten volunteers who were either chewing gum only, using a toothbrush only, using a toothbrush and floss, or using a toothbrush and water, the gum-chewing group did the worst. Gum-chewing was found to be the least effective way to remove plaque. Several subsequent studies from the 1970s and 1980s also investigated whether different kinds of sugar-free gum did a better job of removing plaque. Once again, the answer was no. In some of the studies, plaque was reduced by gum-chewing, but it was not reduced in areas where cavities form. Moreover, the dentists reviewing these studies said that the removed plaque might have a cosmetic effect but not a therapeutic effect (it would have no effect on how many fillings you need). Studies on gum with a special ‘abrasive agent’ to give the gum extra rough cleaning power showed the same result.
Your mother was right after all – you need to brush your teeth. Chewing gum does not remove plaque well enough to substitute for brushing your teeth, and there is no evidence that it is particularly helpful in addition to brushing.