The anti-cavity benefits of consuming chewing gum.

The act of chewing stimulates the flow of saliva.

When we consume sugary foods or beverages some of the sugar that is contained in the food will be metabolized by cariogenic bacteria into the acidic byproducts that are the causative agent for tooth decay. It is a well-studied fact that from the time food is consumed, for the next twenty minutes or so, the acidity of a person's dental plaque increases significantly. This provides a window during which tooth demineralization (decay formation) is most likely to occur.

The act of chewing gum (or actually chewing anything) causes our bodies to stimulate its flow of saliva. This is important in regards to cavity prevention because saliva has a buffering and neutralizing effect on the acids found in dental plaque. An increase in salivary flow can help to prevent conditions that are acidic enough where tooth demineralization can take place.

The plan therefore should be to chew some type of sugar-free gum (xylitol sweetened gum would be an excellent choice) exactly during that time frame when acid production can be expected to be at its peak (the twenty minutes right after a meal). Doing so will help to moderate the pH of the dental plaque, hopefully to the point where it is not acidic enough to allow tooth demineralization to occur.