Although chewing gum seems like a relatively recent invention, people have used gum for several millennia as a breath cleanser. However, the commercialization of bubble gum now poses several problems to consumers.
Civilizations ranging from the Aztecs to North American Indigenous tribes used their own forms of chewing gum ー typically derived from trees ー as a teeth cleanser and breath freshener.
During the mid-1800s, several attempts were made to develop a form of gum that could be mass produced and would appeal to a wide audience. By the late 1800s, businessmen including William Wrigley Jr. began mass-producing flavored gum such as “Juicy Fruit” and “Wrigley’s Spearmint.” By the early 1900s, he was joined by Frank Fleer, the owner of the company that developed “Dubble Bubble.”
From then on, there was no stopping the bubble gum industry. As the industry exploded during the industrialization of the Roaring Twenties, businesses began advertising bubble gum as a free item that came with other household products, pushing gum into households across the country.
Gum has now surpassed its “emerging trend” phase and become embedded in American culture. However, its omnipresence has begun to verge on addiction, harming consumers in a multitude of ways.
From a dental perspective, many high schoolers now chew gum simply for its taste and appeal rather than for dental reasons. “ [I chew gum] once a week usually for the flavor. My favorite flavor is sour blue raspberry Hubba Bubba,” explained junior Nikhil Saini.
Students also often chew gum for extended periods of time. “I chew a single piece of gum for about two hours,” noted sophomore Carter Luszczyk.
Prolonged gum chewing can also cause a host of dental problems rather than improving dental hygiene. Common conditions range from worn out teeth to tightened jaw muscles to even a misaligned jaw. Pain and headaches are also prevalent side effects of excessive gum use.
The high sugar content of most common bubble gums is also detrimental. An average piece of bubble gum is composed of around 75% sugar and sweetened flavors by mass, meaning that a single piece of bubble gum may contain over 10% of a person’s daily serving of sugar. Besides being a dietary detriment, the high sugar content of bubble gum also feeds mouth bacteria, which in turn leads to cavities via the production of acid and the destruction of enamel.
These sweeteners dissolve easily in water and saliva. Because of this, gum typically loses its flavor after just a few minutes of chewing, leaving many reaching for the pack once again. “[my favorite gum] loses its flavor after about 20 minutes,” stated Luszczyk.
Artificially sweetened gums don’t solve many of the problems sugary bubble gum causes. Similar to sugary gums, most artificial sugars dissolve in water, leading to a loss of flavor after a few minutes and an urge to get more gum.
Although there are some minor benefits to some sugar alternatives, there are far more repercussions than benefits. Substitute sugars including erythritol have been linked with diarrhea and cardiovascular complications such as strokes and heart attacks. Some artificial sweeteners have even been correlated with a higher risk of cancer.
Chewing gum can even reach the point of addiction. Despite not being medically classified as an addiction, many “chain chewers” have reported being addicted to gum as a stress reliever to the point of chewing several packages of gum in a single day. These gum addicts suffer jaw pain yet continue to chew gum out of necessity rather than for enjoyment and flavor.
Of course, it is important to note that short-term (approximately 20 minutes) use of sugar-free chewing gum after meals can help cleanse the mouth. However, prolonged use can still pose severe problems.
In the end, bubble gum has firmly ingrained itself in American culture as an everyday staple, whether as iconic brands such as “Wrigley’s Spearmint” or “Dubble Bubble” in baseball dugouts. Depending on how appropriately it is used, gum can potentially be an aid to oral health but can easily become a severe detriment to overall well-being.
