By Nova M Bajamonti For Dailymail.Com
21:02 10 Nov 2023, updated 21:02 10 Nov 2023
- Texas dentist Dr. Ellie Phillips has shared her tips on how to chew gum safely
- The dentist with four decades of experience believes xylitol gum will do the trick
- Xylitol gum helps produce more saliva which mineralizes teeth and heals gums
A dentist has shared how to enjoy the addictive habit of chewing gum without damaging your teeth.
Texas-based dentist Dr. Ellie Phillis detailed in a recent TikTok video what you should avoid to enjoy gum guilt-free.
Ellie, who has been in her field for four decades, advises people to steer clear of sorbitol and opt for 100 per cent xylitol gum instead.
She explained in her insightful clip, titled: ‘How to enjoy gum in a healthy way,’ that xylitol gum carried benefits such as its hygroscopic property, which helped your mouth produce more saliva, therefore, ‘mineralizing your teeth’ and ‘helping your gums heal.’
Mineralizing is the process of repairing your tooth’s enamel. Using fluoride mouthwashes and toothpastes can assist in strengthening your enamel.
The dentist started off her clip by saying: ‘If you like to chew gum, here’s how to do it in the healthiest way.’
She proceeded to introduce herself with a smile: ‘Hi, I’m Dr. Ellie, and I’m here to help you avoid unnecessary dental treatments.’
She immediately jumped into her advice.
‘You’re best to look for sugarless gum but be aware, don’t look for gum that’s sweetened with sorbitol,’ Ellie said.
‘Sorbitol can actually feed the bacteria that seem to be responsible for acid reflux symptoms.
‘So if you’re getting acid reflux and you’re chewing a lot of sorbitol gum, I would switch immediately and what I would recommend everybody to use is 100 per cent xylitol chewing gum and there are lots of different brands out there and they’re all pretty good.’
Ellie went on to offer her personal take on the gum’s components, saying: ‘I would prefer one without glycerin in it if you’re looking for another ingredient to avoid, especially if you’re trying to mineralize your teeth.
‘It appears that glycerin gets in the way of the process of mineralization, so it probably isn’t a problem if you don’t have bad teeth, but look for 100 per cent xylitol gum. That’s the first thing to do.’
She then went on to answer a question she said she got ‘asked all the time’: ‘When you have your 100 per cent xylitol gum, how long should you chew it for?
‘To understand the answer you have to know that the way xylitol really works to help you, is that it stimulates.’
Ellie explained: ‘It’s got hygroscopic property.
‘That means it pulls saliva into your mouth, so when you’re chewing this gum the first thing that happens is that you will get a flow of saliva in your mouth.
‘And that happens in the first couple of minutes… the first two to five minutes.
‘You’ll feel the saliva in your mouth and that’s great.
‘That saliva is gonna mineralize your teeth… help your gums heal. It’s wonderful.
‘The problem is if you keep chewing, chewing, chewing, if you go over 15 minutes.
‘You’re going to change the kind of saliva in your mouth.’
Ellie then moved her hands in a circular motion around her jaw muscles and said: ‘As you chew these muscles here at the side of your cheeks stimulate the parotid salivary gland.’
‘It’s the gland in here,’ she said while pointing to her cheeks.
‘And that’s a gland that’s designed to produce digestive saliva with a completely different composition.’
Ellie added that she wasn’t sure that having digestive saliva for hours on end was ‘so very good for your gastric health.’
‘So my recommendation is to get xylitol gum, 100 per cent xylitol,’ she recommended confidently once again.
‘Chew it and enjoy it for the first two to 15 minutes and then discard it appropriately.’
Ellie’s video has gotten more than 13,000 views with her followers thanking her for her insights.
One person wrote: ‘I’ve been using the spry xylitol gum and have noticed such a difference, my teeth are a lot whiter. Need to check for glycerin [though], now that I know.’
‘Thanks for the valuable information,’ another added.
A third person chimed in writing: ‘Have the xylitol gum… Now I know how long to chew it, Ty (thank you).’
‘Do you suggest oral probiotics,’ one curious commenter asked, to which Ellie responded: ‘Only as a last resort – unless you provide them a healthy mouth, adding oral bacteria won’t change the situation.’
Ellie isn’t the only dentist who strongly recommends using xylitol gum.
Dr Khaled Kasem, chief orthodontist and co-founder of Impress in Barcelona, suggested xylitol because it is a natural sweetener.
He even went as far as to call it the ‘best one.’
As a bonus, xylitol gum also prevents harmful bacteria form growing and causing cavities, according to the Journal of Natural Science.
Besides learning about what gum to chew, Ellie’s TikTok account is full of helpful videos that include information on tooth sensitivity, plaque buildup and more.
Sarah Carter is a health and wellness expert residing in the UK. With a background in healthcare, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, promoting healthier living for readers.
