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Article: Gum and dental decay. (chewing gum may help prevent dental decay)
- Article from:
- Pediatrics for Parents
- Article date:
- June 1, 1993
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1993 Pediatrics for Parents, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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If your child chews gum she may actually be helping to prevent dental decay. Chewing gum stimulates salivation, and saliva washes away some of the bacteria that causes decay. Saliva also contains minerals that help to harden soft spots in the teeth. Regular gum contains sugar, a food for the bacteria that cause dental decay. This negates any benefits chewing gum may have. But what about gum with artificial sweeteners?
To study the effects of different types of gum on dental decay, researchers divided 1,000 children in Belize into four groups: those who chewed gum containing sugar, or one of two different artfficial sweeteners sorbitol or xylitol. These children ...