Best Kinds of Gum to Chew When You Have Braces or Aligners
Whenever you get braces or aligners, there’s always a long list of things you suddenly can’t have. No hard candy, no carbonated beverages, and usually, no gum, because they’re harsh on your aligners and even worse on your teeth. However, gum actually has some great benefits too. Here are the best kinds of gum for your teeth:
Sugarfree Gum
Sugarfree gum is much better for your teeth. Sugar causes cavities, so sugarfree is much healthier. Without sugar, gum is less sticky and less likely to ruin your braces or aligners. As a bonus, sugarfree gum usually has fewer calories too. Some of the best sugarfree gum brands include Pür, XyloBurst, Xylitol, Peppersmith, Glee Gum, and Orbit.
Gum with Xylitol
Generally, you should opt for cinnamon or mint flavors, since sweet and fruit-flavored gum usually contains citric acids that are harsh on your tooth enamel. But if you do have a craving for something sweet, make sure your gum has xylitol as an ingredient. Xylitol is a sweetener from sugar alcohol that has all the flavor and none of the disadvantages.
Gum with the ADA seal
Get gum that has the American Dental Association seal, which means it has been tested for safety and efficacy.
Other benefits of chewing gum
If you get the right kind of gum, you can have a lot of benefits to your oral health. Here are just some of them:
- Gum gets rid of extra bacteria in your mouth my stimulating saliva
- Chewing gum strengthens tooth enamel, especially if the gum includes casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP)
- Certain kinds of gum can even whiten your teeth by getting rid of plaque
