How chewing gum for too long could be harming your health

MANY of us can pop a piece of gum after a meal to freshen our breath.

But have you ever been guilty of chewing on it for hours, until it loses its flavour and gets slimy?

According to dentist Dr Khaled Kasem, munching on your gum for too long could actually lead to tooth decay and even result in jaw conditions.

But the chief orthodontist and co-founder of Impress in Barcelona doesn't swear off the stuff altogether.

Dr Kasem told opting for sugar-free chewing gum can reduce cavities, as long as you don't leave it in your mouth for too long.

That's because munching on a piece produces saliva, which clear away cavity-causing bacteria and lingering bits of food that are stuck in your teeth.

But this only works up to a certain point, according to Dr Kasem.

"My recommendation is to chew gum for a maximum of up to 15 minutes," he said.

If you keeping munching a popping on your gum for long periods of time - such as a few hours - the smooth coating around your teeth called the enamel will begin wearing away.

This is called demineralisation and makes your gnashers more prone to cavities and decay.

Chomping on gum for too long could also worsen conditions affecting your temporomandibular joints (TMJ), which connect the lower jaw to the skull. These are the joints that slide and rotate in front of the ears and they control chewing, talking, yawning, and swallowing.

According to Dr Kasem, "chewing gum cannot cause a TMJ problem, but it can aggravate the problem in patients with a TMJ injury", recommended that people with existing issues avoid gum.

The same goes for people with bone and muscular conditions such as arthritis or osteoporosis, as gum could aggravate them, according to the dentist.

If you still want to pop a pice, Dr Kasem recommended always opting for sugar-free types, specifically those that use artificial sweeteners such as xylitol and sorbitol.