Sugar-free mastic chewing gums for oral hygiene

Mastic Gum Elma is a natural chewing gum produced from mastic from the Greek island of Chios. Flavoured with essential oil of pistacia lentiscus, it supports dental hygiene by, in particular, stimulating saliva production.

The French Association for Dental Health encourages the use of chewing gum, free from sugar and harmful sweeteners, for preventing tooth decay.

What is in the natural chewing gum Mastic Gum Elma ?

Mastic Gum Elma contains natural ingredients only:

1. resin from pistacia lentiscus (mastic tree);
2. no sugar or aspartame, but 100% natural, well-regarded sweeteners: sorbitol, mannitol and xylitol (extracted from birch bark) ;
3. antibacterial essential oils of mastic and menthol.

Why chew gum every day?

Bacterial plaque is the main cause of dental caries. This biofilm, which accumulates on the teeth and in the mouth’s stagnation areas – those the tongue and saliva cannot get to easily – is the perfect breeding ground for pathogenic bacteria.

We’re advised to brush our teeth in order to prevent the constant formation of this destructive plaque. But cleaning our teeth more than twice a day is not a good idea because excessive brushing can, over time, cause damage to the tooth’s surface, which itself encourages dental caries.

Chewing gum is therefore perfect for effectively preventing dental plaque. Alongside tooth-brushing, it helps to stimulate production of saliva, a powerful, natural weapon against dental caries:

• it reduces the time sugars are in contact with the tooth’s surface;
• it contains lactoperoxidase, an enzyme which induces synthesis of substances toxic to pathogenic bacteria;
• it contains lactoferrin which inhibits metabolism of the iron needed for their development;
• it reduces mouth acidity which pathogenic bacteria prefer.

When’s the best time to chew gum?

To obtain significant oral hygiene benefits, we recommend chewing 2g-3g of gum (ie, one piece of chewing gum) for 20 minutes three times a day after meals.

This should in no way replace tooth-brushing or the use of dental floss.

How can you maximise the effects of Mastic Gum Elma ?

Saliva, the production of which is stimulated by chewing gum, is an important weapon, though this depends on its composition. Deficiencies in several micronutrients reduce the quality of saliva, which increases the risk of decay and impairs the tooth-remineralisation process (1).

For optimal saliva composition, it’s important to ensure a good intake of both vitamin D (which helps to maintain an effective immune system) and calcium, a key mineral for remineralising tooth enamel. If you think you may be lacking in these, don’t hesitate to supplement with vitamin D and calcium too, alongside use of our chewing gum. A number of studies have also demonstrated the significant role played by several micronutrients - vitamins B12 (2), B6 (3), K2 (4), and C, as well as omega-3s – in ensuring the quality of saliva and the immune system in general.

If you decide to chew our natural gum to support your dental health, we’d also recommend following these steps at the same time:

• Brush your teeth twice a day, morning and night, avoiding electric toothbrushes if possible, as they’re more abrasive and may damage tooth enamel over time (5).
• Eat fresh foods and fruit, and definitely avoid fizzy drinks, processed ready-meals and high-sugar foods.
• Consider taking strong>oral probiotics if you think you may be producing insufficient saliva, in order to restore optimal bacterial balance in your mouth and fight pathogenic bacteria.
• Take a daily multivitamin such as Daily 3 to prevent any risk of micronutrient deficiencies.