How long should you chew gum to remove bacteria?

A Dutch study found that just one piece of chewing gum can eliminate hundreds of millions of bacteria in the mouth, which is 10% of the total bacteria in saliva.

Chewing gum can effectively clean the mouth

Researchers at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands say chewing gum can be just as effective at cleaning the mouth as dental floss, although they target different areas of the mouth. The study, published in Plos One, found that gum was most effective in the first 30 seconds of chewing, after which it became increasingly less effective at capturing bacteria. In addition, they pointed out that sugar-free gum is effective in removing bacteria, while gum containing sugar can feed these bacteria.

Chewing for too long can release the absorbed bacteria back into the mouth

Participants were asked to chew gum for 10 minutes. When testing each piece of chewing gum, it was found that there were approximately 1 million bacteria attached to each piece of chewing gum. As time goes by, the number of bacteria increases. The bacteria on chewing gum can be clearly seen using a scanning electron microscope. They used two unknown brands. Chewing a piece of gum can remove about 10% of oral microorganisms in saliva. However, chewing for too long can release the absorbed bacteria back into the mouth.

Continued chewing changes the structure of the gum, and the hardness of the gum is reduced due to the absorption of salivary components and the release of water-soluble components. This affects the adhesion of the glue to the bacteria, leading to the release of the bacteria. The researchers added that their research could be used to develop chewing gum to remove specific diseases in the mouth.