Researchers Chewing Gum Promotes A Healthy Mouth

GRONINGEN, Netherlands -- Dutch researchers have concluded that chewing gum can remove as much harmful bacteria from the mouth as flossing. The study, which was conducted at the University of Groningen, was published in the peer-reviewed science journal Plos One.

According to the study, chewing gum can diminish approximately 10% of the microbial load found in saliva. And that gum was at its peak germ-eliminating effectiveness during the first 30 seconds of chewing. During the course of the study the researchers used off-the-shelf, commercially available gum on their volunteers. Sugarless gum was preferred since sugar can "feed" bacteria.

Interestingly, the way that gum removes bacteria from the mouth is by "trapping" it on its surface. While Europeans have long decried the sticky quality of chewing gum on their city streets, it is the adhesive quality that removes germs and keeps mouths clean.