A question that has stumped dentists and philosophers since the advent of teeth whitening gum… Does it work? Short answer… Not really. It does a good job of keeping your mouth tasting minty fresh and might remove some particles, but, in reality, it does not contain the ingredients that a gel, strip, pen or toothpaste would have, that is, hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide.
Chewing gum is great for keeping your breath fresh and clean, masking odors and giving your breath a nice smell, while leaving an excellent taste in your mouth. Just watch out for the extra sugars that are often present in chewing gums.
What is present in many of these formulas, however, is baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate. Baking soda is often recommended for a daily teeth whitening ingredient. Baking soda is used in other applications as well, such as baking (of course!) and as a supplement for endurance athletes (who knew?) and as a means to neutralize acids and bases. This small amount of baking soda is generally not enough to do an in depth whitening of your teeth, rather, it must be taken daily for any effect to be seen. It would be easier to simply brush with baking soda! If you are a “gum person” it may make sense for you to chew whitening gum, or at least get a gum that is sugar free.
There are great many solutions that do a better job than teeth whitening gum, such as pens, mouthwashes, toothpastes, and strips which do a much better job and yet are still just as convenient to use as teeth whitening gum. Gums can be great to freshen your breath and to remove matter from between your teeth, however, I would not use just a teeth whitening gum to get my teeth white.
