Chewing gum as effective as dental floss, albeit in different areas of the mouth, to eliminate bacteria. A study carried out in the Netherlands says so
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It is possible that Is chewing gum as useful as dental floss for mouth hygiene? According to a new study it wouldn't be such a strange question since, just chewing gum for 10 minutes could go to remove a truly impressive number of bacteria from the mouth.
There is talk of 100 million microorganisms However, according to the researchers of the University of Groningen in the Netherlands who carried out the study, if the use of chewing gum is prolonged for too long, they can be released again from the gum itself in the gums. Therefore a chewing time that does not exceed 10 minutes would be useful (even if the best effect is achieved in the first 30 seconds), in fact in this way about 10% of the microbial load present in the saliva would be eliminated.
The researchers, who wanted to study the effectiveness of chewing gum on dental hygiene, were convinced that these can be as effective as dental floss, albeit in different areas of the mouth. We obviously speak of chewing gum sugar free, the presence of sugar would in fact contribute to nourish the bacteria and therefore to make them proliferate.
The experiment carried out to come to affirm this involved the use of two different types of chewing gum that were made to chew by some volunteers for periods of time ranging from 30 seconds to 10 minutes. Afterwards, the gum was spat out into a cup filled with sterile water and analyzed by scanning electronically under a microscope. It was thus possible to see that 100 million bacteria were trapped in the chewing gum.
The scientists who carried out the study (published in Plos One) hope this can be used for make a specific chewing gum capable of absorbing bacteria.
Of course it must be said that, compared to classic dental floss, chewing gums also have a less than beneficial effect on other parts of our body, such as the stomach, and therefore should still be consumed in moderation.
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