Newswise — Whether in the grocery aisle, at the pharmacy, or at a dispensary, little gummy treats containing vitamins, supplements, or THC have become ubiquitous. But do the benefits of gummies (and closely-related chewies) outweigh the risks they can pose to oral health? Here’s some advice from Aikaterini Papathanasiou , professor and chair of Tufts University School of Dental Medicine 's Comprehensive Care Department, and Cheen Loo , professor and chair of Pediatric Dentistry at the School of Dental Medicine. We hear all the time that sticky substances, especially those containing sugar, are bad for our oral health.
Is that true? Papathanasiou: Sticky substances that contain sugar can create oral health issues—especially issues related to the teeth, such as decay. Loo: The bacteria in our mouth break down sugars and produce acid, which causes cavities, and that stickiness is also important. Do chewables and gummies affect other parts of the mouth, or just the teeth? Papathanasiou: Chewables and gummies can mainly affect teeth, but they can also affect the gums around the teeth because sticky residuals stay between or around the teeth and near the gums.
Gummies can also loosen fillings and crowns. If a patient has a new filling or a temporary crown and starts chewing on a gummy, it could pull out the filling or crown. Are gummies and chewables as much of a risk to oral health as candy? Loo: Because of the sugar content, I think gummies probably have the same risk as ca.
