Humans have been chewing gum since ancient times. It is a habit that is common among people of all ages. We chew it at different times for different reasons. But if your child keeps chewing wads of Orbit or puffing balloons out of Big Babol gums throughout the day, his habit may make you feel worried. You may start wondering if chewing gums are as bad as they are made out to be.

AAP.org recommends that “gum not be given to children who are too young to understand that they shouldn’t swallow it. In fact, a study found that repeatedly swallowing gum can cause health problems including diarrhea, abdominal pain, gas, mouth ulcers, and dental and jaw problems.”

Let us tell you a few facts about chewing gums that will help calm your worries. You will be surprised to know that there are some benefits of chewing gum as well. Some of them are - it reduces heartburn symptoms, increases saliva flow, improves wakefulness and boosts mental performance, and is also considered to be a good ‘bad breath remedy.’

But this is not to say that you should let your child chew gums without restriction. In fact, every good thing has a bad side, and the side effects of chewing gum must also be kept in mind. Overindulgence in chewing gums can cause stomach problems and is bad for dental health in the long term.

Allparenting.com, a parenting website, reports: “The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says a guideline for allowing a child to chew gum is to ensure the child is old enough to understand gum should not be swallowed.”

You can learn more about how to make sure that your child doesn’t go overboard with his habit of chewing gums, check out our ClipBook.