Does Sugar-Free Gum Prevent Cavities?What Studies Show

“Chew sugar-free gum after eating” turns up in a lot of dental advice. A research group at Guy’s Dental Hospital in London pooled the trials to see how much it helps.¹

Fewer new cavities

The review found 12 trials comparing people who chewed sugar-free gum with people who didn’t chew anything, or used things like lozenges or rinses.¹

• Chewers developed about 28% fewer new cavities.¹
• In the 8 trials of xylitol gum, the figure was about 33%.¹
• No side effects were recorded.¹

The trials varied widely and were of moderate quality, so the authors called the evidence tentative.¹ The range around that 28% ran from 7% to 48%, so the true benefit could be small or fairly large.¹

Less plaque and fewer cavity bacteria

Researchers at the same hospital ran two related reviews:

• Plaque: across 8 studies, sugar-free gum, especially xylitol gum, reduced plaque.² The studies varied a lot.²
• Bacteria: across 13 studies, gum reduced Streptococcus mutans, a bacterium linked to cavities.³ But in 7 of the 13, the result on its own was too uncertain to show an effect.³

Why it might help

Chewing sugarless gum stimulates saliva, and US dental health advice suggests it for dry mouth.⁴ Some sugarless gums contain xylitol, which may help prevent cavities.⁴ See xylitol lozenges for adult cavities and dry mouth in menopause.

How to use it

1. Choose sugar-free. That’s what the trials tested.
2. Chew after meals or snacks, when you can’t brush.
3. Keep brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. Gum is an extra, not a substitute. See prescription fluoride toothpaste for root cavities.
4. Go easy if your jaw aches. See jaw pain treatments to try first.

Try: “My mouth is often dry and I’ve had a few new cavities. Would chewing xylitol gum after meals help, and should I be using a stronger fluoride toothpaste?”

Is It My Breath? covers this in Chapter 7, “Dry Mouth, Strange Taste,” in a section called “Supporting Saliva.” Its Breath Log takes one line a day for time, food, dryness, taste and what you tried, so you can see whether gum after meals changes how dry your mouth feels. See the book.