Serbia team celebrates a point during a women's volleyball semifinal match between the USA and Serbia at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Maracanazinho indoor arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Aug. 18, 2016.
healthy gums. When we pull back our lips and look in our mouths, we see our teeth and a lining of gums that covers where the roots of the teeth meet the jaw bone. But from the bone at the depths to the gums at the surface, there's more going on than meets the eye.
Sugarless gum. Chewing gum loosens food and dead cells from the teeth, gums, and tongue and fosters saliva production. Vankevich says sugar-free gum sweetened with xylitol is particularly effective for fighting bad breath because xylitol inhibits mouth bacteria. To get the full effect of chewing xylitol-sweetened gum, munch it for at least five minutes after meals, Mallonee recommends.