Chewing gum poses several dangers to children, but it also offers potential oral health benefits. If your child is old enough to chew gum safely, then give him only sugar-free gum and limit him to a maximum of two pieces per day, suggests KidsHealth. To enhance his safety, instruct your child to remain still while chewing; he shouldn’t play sports, run around or ride in a car with gum in his mouth.
Swallowing Gum
The human digestive system cannot digest chewing gum. Young children sometimes cannot understand the difference between gum and other types of candy or food, so they may swallow the gum purposefully. Additionally, they may forget what they’re chewing, or simply get distracted, and then swallow the gum accidentally. Usually, swallowing gum will not harm a person, explains the International Chewing Gum Association; the gum takes only a few days to travel through the digestive system and then leaves the body in a bowel movement. KidsHealth agrees that swallowing gum will seldom harm a child but warns that, in some rare cases, swallowed gum can create a blockage in the digestive tract. This can cause constipation, sometimes severe enough to require medical procedures. Swallowing gum poses a specific danger if your child swallows multiple pieces at once or swallows his gum frequently, explains KidsHealth.
Choking
Gum doesn’t pose any more of a choking threat than other foods, the International Chewing Gum Association claims. The Colorado State University Extension’s SafeFood Rapid Response Network, however, reports that chewing gum causes a significant portion of emergency room visits for choking children. Even the gum association advises against giving gum to a small child whose youth makes choking an especial hazard.
Other Dangers and Disadvantages
Chewing gum involves swallowing air, so it can cause gas and related stomach pains. Sugared gum contains empty calories, which can contribute to weight gain without offering any nutrients, warns KidsHealth. Because gum chewing keeps sugar in the mouth for a prolonged period, it also causes cavities. Sugar-free gums contain fewer calories and don't contain calories, but the ingredient used for sweetening can cause or worsen diarrhea, gas and stomach pain, reports “Pediatrics.” Cinnamon-flavored gum can irritate the lining of the mouth and cause mouth ulcers. If a child chews gum frequently or for long periods of time, “Pediatrics” warns, it can harm his dental health. It can affect tooth development, mess up dental work, cause TMJ or lead to abnormal growth and swelling of the jaw muscles.
Oral Health Benefits
Some scientific evidence, however, suggests chewing sugar-free gum promotes oral health in children by stimulating the production of saliva, which helps fight cavities. Children who chew gum after meals experience 8 percent to 11 percent fewer cavities, found a study in the “Journal of the American Dental Association.”
Age
KidsHealth recommends waiting until your child reaches 5 before letting him try chewing gum. Talk to him carefully beforehand; make sure he understands that he shouldn’t swallow the gum. The gum industry doesn’t set a particular safe age; instead, explains the International Chewing Gum Association, parents should evaluate their kids’ maturity to determine whether they can chew gum carefully and safely.
References
- International Chewing Gum Association: Frequently Asked Questions
- KidsHealth from Nemours; What Happens to Swallowed Gum?; October 2008
- “Pediatrics”; Chewing Gum Bezoars of the Gastrointestinal Tract; David E. Milov, et al.; August 1998
- MayoClinic.com; Swallowing Gum: Is It Harmful?; Michael F. Picco; February 2011
- Colorado State University Extension’s SafeFood Rapid Response Network; Gum and Candy Important Cause of Choking in Children; 2003
- “International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry”; The Effect of Chewing Exercise in Preschool Children…; A. Ohira, et al.; July 2011
- "Journal of the American Dental Association"; The Effect of Chewing Sugar-Free Gums After Meals...; Bradley Beiswanger, et al.; November 1998
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