A stick of sugarless gum per day may keep the dentist away, at least according to a study published in the October issue of the journal Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology.
The British study compared two groups of senior citizens where the first group chewed sugarless gum twice a day for 6 months, while the second group did not. Compared with the test subjects in the second group, people in the gum-chewing group had less plaque on their teeth which resulted in them having gums.
About 40% of the gum-chewing group thought their oral health had improved during the study while only 21% of the other group said this. The report also found that people who didn't chew gum had an increase in saliva flow, something that the authors of the report said that they hadn't had an explanation for.
Each person in the study was at least 60 years old and had at least 6 natural teeth. None of them lived in nursing homes or other assisted living facilities.
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