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Apr
IS CHEWING GUM GOOD FOR YOU?
A recent article was published in The New York Times which tells the story of the letters the founder of WM. Wrigley Jr. Co. wrote to young children to entice them to chew gum. William Wrigley Jr., the founder of the Wrigley Company, wrote direct letters to every child he could find turning 2.. “In the early 1900s, he actually shipped free sticks of gum to every address in the U.S. phone book, and that is thought to be the first national direct marketing campaign.” Wrigley often mailed sticks of Juicy Fruit, Wrigley’s oldest product, glued to his letters. Juicy Fruit was created in 1893 a few months before Spearmint.
Wrigley writes that chewing gum is good exercise for children’s teeth. The irony is that Wrigley chewing gum contained sugar which promoted dental cavities. There is no evidence to support that chewing gum in the 1920’s or 1930’s had any beneficial effect on children’s teeth due to any ingredient in the gum. But maybe people knew that the extra saliva produced from chewing gum and the gum rubbing across the teeth had beneficial cleansing effects. The American Academy of Pediatrics now considers gum a choking hazard for children younger than age 5.
Interestingly, the recipient of the above letter, Henry Trombley, grew up to be a dental technician, making dental crowns and bridges.
Does swallowed gum stay in your stomach for seven years?
No, while the digestive system is unable to break down the synthetic gum base, the gum moves through the intestines and passed into the stool normally.
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Gary R. Pearl, DMD, MAGD
Scott A Pearl, DMD, FAGD
Adam R Abel, DMD, MD
Gary R. Pearl, DMD, MAGD
Gary R. Pearl, DMD, MAGD, graduated from the University of Connecticut with a BS in Pharmacy and the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine. He spent his general practice residency at Park City Hospital in Bridgeport, CT, and is a graduate of the Pankey Institute in Key Biscayne, FL. In 2005, he achieved the highest Academy of General Dentistry honor- Mastership (MAGD). Dr. Pearl is a member of the American Dental Association (ADA), American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, Connecticut State Dental Association (CSDA), and the Academy of General Dentistry. Dr. Pearl is an expert in many facets of dentistry is constantly advancing what dentistry can offer.
Scott A Pearl, DMD, FAGD
Scott A Pearl, DMD, FAGD, attended college at the University of Connecticut followed be earning a masters degree in Molecular and Cell Biology from Quinnipiac University. He graduated from the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine and completed his residency training at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, NY. In 2021, Dr. Pearl became a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry, a milestone reached by only six percent of dentists in the US. He is President of the New Haven Dental Association from 2024 to 2025 (Board Member since 2021), and a member of the American Academy of Facial Esthetics, American Dental Association and CT State Dental Association. His clinical interests include CEREC digital dentistry and implants.. He believes that quality dental care can profoundly affect patients’ physical and mental well-being.
View LinkedIn ProfileAdam R Abel, DMD, MD
Adam R Abel, DMD, MD, specializes in oral and maxillofacial surgery. He received his BS from Tufts University and his DMD from the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine. He then underwent specialty training in oral and maxillofacial surgery at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell Medical Center. He earned an MD degree at Weill Cornell Medicine and completed extensive training in anesthesiology and general surgery. Dr. Abel also works in NYC and has a teaching position at Weill Cornell, where he also performs advanced jaw surgeries, including orthognathic surgery. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.