Does chewing gum too much harm your jaw?

According toIllness WellIt's not just your arms, legs, and abdominal muscles that need exercise; you have essential body parts in your head and neck that also need regular movement.

In fact, there are some pretty compelling studies pointing to impressive benefits of exercising the head and neck muscles through chewing, from helping you feel fuller for longer to improving cognitive function and potentially protecting you from neurodegenerative diseases that cause cognitive decline, such as Alzheimer's disease.

Kitchen appliances, from blenders and juicers to food processors and graters, and even the heat from the stove, can all help to crush food. Therefore, your jaw muscles don't have much work to do.

Modern diets have become softer, and even diets that include whole foods have become more processed. Whole carrots, shredded carrots, and cooked carrots are all considered whole, but they are not the same.

They may have the same nutrients in the diet, but each requires different jaw movements. With whole carrots, you need to bite hard and tear them apart; shredded carrots have been mashed in a food processor and require less chewing; and cooked carrots only need a little mashing to make them easier to swallow.

When you chew food, you use many parts of your body, including your tongue, teeth, jawbone, skull, and muscles. And did you know that two of the strongest muscles in your body are the muscles that move your jaw, known as the masticatory muscles? These muscles are relatively small, but they can generate the greatest pressure of all skeletal muscles.

The link between chewing and brain health

The forces generated when you chew play a role in how your body functions. Chewing, tearing, and swallowing stimulate your facial and throat muscles and help develop optimal anatomy and function of your jaw, vocal cords… and even your brain.

According to a 2017 article published in the International Journal of Molecular Science, chewing helps protect the part of your brain (the hippocampus) that processes memory and other cognitive functions by increasing blood flow through the brain. While the exact reason remains unclear, chewing has long been studied as a stress-reducing behavior.

Additionally, the force generated when you bite helps increase nerve cell activity in the brain, according to a 2019 review article in the International Journal of Dentistry.

Your chewing muscles may be working just as hard as sitting in a chair all day. So, make sure you don't miss out on other opportunities to nourish your brain while you eat.

Does chewing gum too much harm your jaw?

According tofine ClinicThe movement of the jaw occurs at the temporomandibular joint, located in front of each ear, which is supported by a network of muscles. These muscles help your jaw close so you can chew and move your jaw from side to side.

Normally, you chew to break food down into smaller pieces so you can swallow. However, when chewing gum, you chew just for the sake of chewing. Dentists consider chewing gum to be abnormal.

"Unusual habits, such as frequent gum chewing, can cause temporomandibular joint disorders or worsen existing conditions," said Dr. Kahn.

Chewing gum stimulates saliva production, which improves oral health by removing leftover food particles and neutralizing acids produced by bacteria in the mouth.

However, constant chewing of gum puts excessive force on the temporomandibular joints, muscles, and teeth, leading to overstraining, imbalance, and misalignment. This can cause clicking sounds in one or both temporomandibular joints, headaches, jaw pain, and broken teeth.

"For some people, even a slight shift in the temporomandibular joint can cause intense pain," Dr. Kahn said.

Therefore, people with temporomandibular joint disorders should avoid chewing gum entirely. For others, she advises limiting chewing gum to under 15 minutes per day to avoid causing problems.

How to train your jaw muscles with food.

You can buy jaw exercisers, rubber pieces, to bite on repeatedly to help address facial tissue atrophy. But as a food lover, you can also shape your anatomy through what you eat.

Of course, there are times when you need to eat soft foods, such as when wearing braces, getting new dental work done, or experiencing oral trauma. However, outside of these times, you can prepare meals not only to get your recommended daily intake of vitamins and minerals but also to ensure you get your recommended daily exercise.

Let your daily meals train your jaw muscles by eating whole vegetables and fruits instead of juices or smoothies, nuts, dried meat, dried fruit, etc. You can stretch your jaw by opening your mouth wide to eat a whole apple or any other uncut food.

You can also try a bowl of greens or shredded cabbage salad as an exercise for your face.