Oral health is about more than just pretty white teeth. Poor dental health—...
Oral health is about more than just pretty white teeth. Poor dental health—in particular gum disease—is linked to a greater risk of heart disease and early labor in pregnancy. The first step to having healthy teeth and gums is to floss and brush your teeth regularly.
![gum-teeth](https://cdn-img.health.com/sites/default/files/styles/medium_2x/public/styles/main/public/200208483-001.jpg?itok=lTqgzAMY "Sugar-free gum helps clean teeth by stimulating the production of saliva. Saliva is nature's way of washing away acids produced by the bacteria in your mouth, and it also bathes the teeth in bone-strengthening calcium and phosphate. In addition, many varieties of sugarless gum are sweetened with xylitol, an alcohol that reduces bacteria.
You might want to stick with mint flavors, however. One 2011 study suggests that the acid used to create certain fruit flavors could damage teeth, though only slightly. "Anything we taste as sour is more acidic, but we're getting so much good out of the saliva flow, I could live with that," Messina says.")
