Chewing gum actually comes from ancient civilizations! People would make several cuts on tree trunks and they used the tree sap that seeped out. They let the sap dry and chewed it so that they could essentially clean their mouths, their teeth or even just to calm hunger. However, gum today differs from those days. We now have several chewing gum brands which have led people to create chewing habits, to the point that they never stop chewing. Here are 8 reasons to not chew gum:
- Muscle over-stimulation from chewing
If you chew gum regularly your jaw muscles start to grow and get stronger. The problem is that when chewing gum we can over-use our muscles or force them to be overworked. So, chewing gum for several hours is the equivalent of training in a mouth gym. - Headaches.
This reason is directly related to the first point since jaw muscles get stronger, they get tense enough to develop headaches. Your jaw muscles are really close to your ear canal temporomandibular joint. When this gets inflamed, it can produce strong headaches. Many times these headaches are caused by excessive gum chewing, so it is best to be cautious about excessive gum chewing. - Neck pain
When the joint is overstimulated, you will also develop neck pain. This is because all those muscles are connected. Therefore, if you suffer from neck pain, and you chew gum, you should be careful, since this could be what is causing the pain. - Heartburn
This symptom is related to chewing gum as well. For example, if you have not eaten and you start to chew gum, your stomach will think that you are actually eating. Your stomach will then start producing stomach acids so it can receive the “food”, making you suffer from heartburn. You can also get some throat irritation and several acid symptoms. This is why it is not recommended to chew gum on an empty stomach. - Damage to dental work
If you have had dental work, such as amalgams, dental resins, crowns, braces, or any other kind of dental work, gum is your worst enemy. These types of dental procedure are made to withstand a lot, in your day to day chewing. Yet, they are not made to withstand being constantly pulled by gum. Sooner or later some damage will occur to your dental investment the more gum you chew. - Diarrhea
Most sugar-free gums have sweeteners, which are a good option if you want to avoid sugar intake, like those who have medical illnesses, such as diabetes. The problem arises when there is excessive chewing that leads to sweetener abuse, which leads to diarrhea. Therefore, if you chew gum regularly, it is more than probable that you also have to visit the toilet regularly. - Tongue growth
When the tongue gets overstimulate from chewing gum, it tends to grow as a muscle would, which can cause different sleep problems such as snoring and other discomfort. - Tooth wear
Each time chewing gum is chewed the teeth are indirectly crashing together and crushing each other, so they wear out.
