Chewing Gum for Kids! Is it good to allow them in little age?

As there are advantages of chewing gum like losing weight, stress reliever and freshens breath there are also disadvantages associated with chewing gum. 1. Tooth decay. Since chewing gums have sugar they may cause tooth decay, gum problems and cavitites. 2. Jaw stress. There is such a thing as Temporomandibular Joint Disorder. Too much chewing would stress the jaw and may cause facial and neck pains. 3. Stomach aches. Chewing on an empty stomach may worsen gastritis 4. Choking. There are incidences reported of choking caused by chewing gums. Kindly refer to this link for more details. http://www.ehow.com/list_6950038_disadvantages-chewing-gum.html

Whoa! Gum is actually considered one of the best alternatives to brushing your teeth, when you're unable to, of course. Nothing really beats the actual act of brushing your teeth. I think the second best alternative is considered drinking lots of water..... anyways... Actually, gum is a lot better for your teeth than candies or toffees are... IF you continue chewing, even when the flavour is gone. If you just chew until the sugary taste goes away, THAT'S when it's bad for your teeth. Otherwise, gum has a lot of benefits. You salivate more when you're chewing on a nice stick of gum, which helps prevent cavities, since saliva has some anti-cavity properties. I think I also recall a study in which they found out that chewing gum helps kids perform better in classes... However, there's a drawback to chewing gum too... it wears out your jaw. :/

I dont think chewing gum ,toffees and chewits are good for kids at all as these can cause tooth decay especially as kids cannot be 100% with oral hygeine.

Honestly, if he doesn't swallow it, a sugar free gum would be better for his teeth than sugar-filled candy I would think. Plus it doesn't add empty calories to his diet or give him a sugar-high. If you think he is old enough to understand NOT to swallow his gum and what he should do with it when he is done then I would give it to him.

Everything you mentioned can be harmful to their health and teeth. Especially toffee generally as usually its packed full of sugar. If it was my son id give it every so often as a treat not a daily type thing. Given that hes four years old I know that can be tricky trying to explain to him that its bad in big amounts to have all that all the time. As for the chewing gum question itself I personally wouldn't advise that. Would be too easy for a four year old in my opinion to get over excited with it and choke and gum isn't that easy to dislodge at times if you do choke on it.