Army Develops New Chewing Gum

IEBEYEBALL writes "The Army is developing a new chewing gum to help soldiers fight dental problems in the field. The gum takes the place of brushing teeth, which the soldier in a combat situation might not have time or means to do. This sounds like the perfect solution for the geek on the go!"

Comments

Some people already do this!

[mpathetiq]

I know several who think that simply chewing a stick of gum after a meal is a sufficient replacement for a full brushing. Damn Trident marketing.

These people also tend to have the DemonBreath from Hell TM.

Re:Some people already do this!

[Mark of THE CITY]

Trident's ad pitch the virtues of sugarless gum. Dentyne uses, or used, the slogan "Brush your breath with Dentyne."

Re:Some people already do this!

[SacredNaCl]

Seeing as how the gum probably doesn't contain fluoride, I think we can say pretty safely that chewing it is not as good as brushing.

The gum probably isn't as good as brushing, but that has to do with reasons of bacteria forming what is called a biofilm which needs to be broken up to be eliminated readily. A good brushing action is more effecting than the chewing action of gum.

This is nothing to do with fluoride. Fluoride would be counter productive here. The only circumstances people benefit from low dose topical fluoride is when they are children, and the effect is rather unremarkable. You can look at places that use it, and don't use, and not see any tangible benefit in dental outcomes outside of a few years in the teens. Once adulthood sets in, fluoridated areas fare worse in several outcome measures than non-fluoridated. Once adulthood sets in and the teeth are formed, as in the case of combat soldiers, it becomes entirely counterproductive. Its also counterproducive when the dose is excessive, as in the case of many cities in the USA where they have fluoridated water, use fluoride toothpaste, and consume numerous products (cereals, beer [used to stop brewing process in American beers], other beverages, plant stores like tea..etc) that contain fluoride compounds, in addition exposure through the air from steel, aluminum, nuclear materials production, other metals, phosphate fertilizer manufacture, and burning coal.

The teeth are not the only part of the body affected by fluoride as well. It has been shown to store in the bones and cause brittle bones, a demonstratable increase in hip fractures, it is neurotoxic (which has been demonstrated on multilple species of animals and people working in nuclear processing and aluminum manufacturing facilities) can cause confusion, delerium, decrease in intelligence and other damage to the nervous system that does not appear to be short term, it can lead to arthritic changes in the joints, there is also the matter of a demonstrable increase in bone cancer in boys, dental fluorsis, skeletal fluorosis, damage to the spine and nerves in the spine. It is a cumulative poison, and one of the more toxic ones in regular use.

The military actually tried high dose fluoride treatments in combat situations to prevent tooth decay. They did this in Vietnam, every 6 months soldiers in the field would be called back to use a high dose fluoride tooth paste, and a high dose multicompound fluoride rinse. The results are what you would except, a very short term decline in dental carries, as the fluorsing effects did indeed make the outer enamel shell of the tooth harder, but this occured at the expense the material inside of the tooth. A year later their teeth were crumbling & they were far worse off than those who had not had the treatment at all. The only benefit was short term, it allowed the warfighter to stay out in the field without breaks for dental care for a few months at the expense of damage to all of their teeth later.

There are other methods that could be employed with a delivery device like gum that would likely be more effective. Zinc gluconate and folic acid in a gum would make a very inhospitable environment for bacteria, you could also add antibacterial enzymes and low dose calcium to the gum. Zinc gluconate mouthwashes have demonstrated a high effectiveness for reducing bacteria and resulting decay. Folic acid washes reduce gum inflammation (thus the size of the pockets bacteria can get into to create problems). Antibacterial enzymes are used commercially already in dental mouthwashes such as biotene with a fair degree of effectiveness. Xylitol is also in wide use, though it is not as effective as the other methods. It will be interesting to see what their gum product actually contains. Even just increasing the saliva flow would be good in this environment. Stress tends to reduce the flow, and allows decay to set in faster. The body itself has means to deal with bacteria in the mouth, our normal state is not rotting t

Re:Some people already do this!

[kurosawdust]

I don't see the hypocrisy in that, but I'd like to inform you, since I stopped drinking fluoridated tap water and started using natural toothpastes (I recommend JASON products which can be found at www.jason-natural.com), my teeth, and not to mention my body, have been much healthier.

Wow. One instance of anecdotal evidence. I'm sold. WE MUST ATTACK THE EVIL FLUORIDE CONSPIRACY! We must remove this lethal toxin from our waters and toothpastes! I mean, nobody really dies from brushing their teeth properly with fluoride toothpaste, but it's lethal! And lethal is BAD! And Jason Toothpaste is natural, and natural is GOOD! Well, except for poison ivy...that's natural, and not so good. Oh and viruses - natural, not too good.

Here's an idea - switch to cheaper, fluoride-based toothpastes for a while, and use the money you saved from not buying expensive organic tea-leaf toothpaste to enroll in a science class and find out why one instance of anecdotal evidence does not a proof make. Have a nice day, you Rugged Iconoclast, you.

Re:Some people already do this!

[Schemat1c]

I haven't seen a dentist in... 12 years? No cavities that I know of, but I have a wisdom tooth lurking below the surface that I might need to have looked at, and that at age 31.

Well, you are the exception not the rule. But, 12 years since anyone's looked at your teeth. You could very well have multiple cavities and not even know or worse yet the beginning stages of gum disease. Just because you are not in pain doesn't mean your teeth are healthy.

Re:Some people already do this!

[SacredNaCl]

I read the first few paragraphs of your fluoride conspiracy diatribe, and as far as I can tell, all of the results you're referencing (well, not referencing...you didnt really reference anything) describe situations where people or animals were given enormous amounts of fluoride, far in excess of what the ADA recommends. Would you be surprised if a study found ill effects in humans who swallowed 125 times the recommended dose of aspirin? You can believe this rubbish if you want, but at least be consistent - aspirin too should be condemned by your standards.

I guess the Institute of Medicine, the National Research Council, the US Dept of Health, the Center for Disease Control, and the World Health Organization are all in on it too, right? This conspiracy reaches much further than we thought! :P

The WHO (World Health Organization) concurs with my position. The CDC does not, but I wouldn't expect them to. They are responsible for the addition of fluoride into the water in the first place, as was the sturcture of our government at the time. No, I am not talking exposures "125 times", I am talking about mere factor of 2 to 3, and one that is easily exceeded in a substance as toxic as fluorine compounds are as the quantities involved are very minute.

You mean like the people who ramble on and on about a fluoride conspiracy and then wonder why their teeth are messed up and full of cavities?

He would be in rather good company:
Germany, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Finland, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden have banned fluoride in the water, and several have gone as far as ban a wide variety of fluoride containing products. It seems countries with socialized dental programs figured out it didn't work out on the balance sheet. Their teeth are fine, and on average, in better health than the teeth of similarly situated countries who allow its use.

Proposals go up every year to ban the use of fluoridated salt as well. People who scream that criticism of fluoride is based merely on far out conspiracies have never stopped to look into just how low of a dose can cause very severe health consequence. In countries where fluoride occurs naturally in the water, and they lack the technology or financial means to effectively remove it, you can compare their consumption levels to our own.(Parts of the US use water with high levels of naturally occuring fluoride as well, and when remediation isn't taken, they end up with the same health effects.) The margin of difference between having a fair portion of your society sick from fluoride and escaping the worst (but not the mild & moderate effects of toxicity) is not high at all. Its often less than a factor of 2.

When I see a village in India, or Pakistan, or Sudan, or Kenya, or Peru with 20-30% of the inhabitants clearly suffering from excess fluoride exposure,and their water levels come back a mere 3.02 and we have 1.0 in the water here, then compare dietary exposures, and it brings their total adjusted exposure to 4.12 and ours to 2.78 ..We are talking about a razors edge margin of safety. This margin could easly be exceeded by a person who drinks more water, or drinks a lot of tea, or eats regularly grapes, raisins, wine (where the grapes are subject to cyrolite pesticide use), cereals processed with fluoridated water, or drinks beer occasionally.

It is plainly obvious to see that the US Government is not telling the truth when they say there are no measurable consequences to using less than 8ppm of fluoride in the water and diet. Cases of fluoride toxicity in the US itself show it merely takes longer if the exposure levels are in the 3.0-7.9 range. Cases from around the world show that a mere 3.12 in the water is enough to substantially affect the health of a large number of residents over time. Even the EPA's MCL of 4.0 is ovbiously set too high. (Of course, when they try to lower it, the bosses at the EPA tend to put them on unpaid leave and the union has to step in to sue to get peoples

Re:Some people already do this!

[kurosawdust]

The WHO (World Health Organization) concurs with my position.

Wrong. See WHO Monograph "Fluorides and Human Health", series 59 (1970).

Only had to read the first sentence that time :).

Re:Some people already do this!

[SacredNaCl]

For a good overview you can read "The Fluoride Deception" by Christopher Bryson. Which contains a lot of the actual documents, and extracts from others. It deals more with the conspiratorial nature of the process of water fluoridation coming to pass than with the health consequences.

Just a quick scan of the literature in my own collection:

Fluoride and bone cancer (Osteosarcomsa)

1. Maurer JY, Cheng MC, Boysen BG, Anderson RL. Two-year carcinogenicity study of sodium fluoride in rats. Journal, National Cancer Institute 82 111811261990. [Found significant dose-related increase in osteosarcoma incident in male rats, in addition, found fluoride correlation with thyroid follicular cell adenomas, and a rare type of liver cancer.]

2. Hoover RN, Devesa S, Cantor K, Fraurneni JF Jr. Time trends for bone and joint cancers and osteosarcomas in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program, National Cancer Institute. In: Review of Fluoride: Benefits and Risks, Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Fluoride of the Committee to Coordinate Environmental Health and Related Programs. US Public Health Service, 1991 pp F 1 -177. [Found higher incidence of bone cancer in males 20 and under in fluoridated vs non-fluoridated area. Did not control for halo effect unfortunately.]

3. Cohn PD. A brief report on the association of drinking water fluoridation and the incidence of osteosarcoma among young males. New Jersey Department of Health, Trenton NJ November 8 1992. [While Cohn could not eliminate other sources of carcenogens, he found a clear and convincing association and correlation with water fluoridation and the incidence of osteosarcoma. Quote directly from study: "Thus it can be seen that, for these populations, the chance of osteosarcoma for males age 10-19 years was 6.9 times higher in the fluoridated municipalities."]

No or scant evidence of protection from Fluoridation or Fluoride exposure in dental carries reduction:

1. Hildebolt CF, Elvin-Lewis H, Molnar S et al. Caries prevalences among geochemical regions of Missouri. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 78 79-92 1989.

2. Yiamouyiannis J A. Water fluoridation and tooth decay results from the 1986- 1987 national survey of US schoolchildren. Fluoride 23 55-67 1990

3. Brunelle JA, Carlos JP. Recent trends in dental caries in US children and the effect of water fluoridation. Journal of Dental research 69 (Special Issue) 7237281990.

4. Attwood D, Blinkhorn AS. Dental health in school children 5 years after water fluoridation ceased in south-west. Scotland. Dent J. 1991 Feb;41(1):43-8.[No evidence that removing the fluoride affects dental carries levels.]

5. Kobayashi S, Kawasaki K, Takagi O, Nakamura M, Fujii N, Shinzato M, Maki Y, Takaesu Y. Caries experience in subjects 18-22 years of age after 13 years' discontinued water fluoridation in Okinawa. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 1992 Apr;20(2):81-3. [No evidence of increase in dental carries after 13 years of fluoridation being ceased.]

6. Kalsbeek H, Kwant GW, Groeneveld A, Dirks OB, van Eck AA, Theuns HM. Caries experience of 15-year-old children in The Netherlands after discontinuation of water fluoridation. Caries Res. 1993;27(3):201-5. [More of the same, no statistically signicant evidence of increase in dental carries when fluoridation ceases.]

7. Seppa L, Karkkainen S, Hausen H. Caries frequency in permanent teeth before and after discontinuation of water fluoridation in Kuopio, Finland. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 1998 Aug;26(4):256-62. [Again, evidence did not favor fluoridation looking at before addition, during addition, and after removal of fluoride].

8. Kunzel W, Fischer T. Caries prevalence after cessation of water fluoridation in La Salud, Cuba. Caries Res. 2000 Jan-Feb;34(1):20-5. [Found a slight decrease in carried after fluoridation was ceased.]

9. Burt BA, Keels MA, Heller KE. The effects of a break in water fluoridation on the development of dental caries and fluorosis. J Dent Res

Everyone.

[joemawlma]

Why wouldn't they just market and sell that to everyone? I'm sure most people would buy and chew gum if it could effectively replace brushing.

Re:Everyone.

[Sen.NullProcPntr]

Give it to solders and if it doesn't work; oh well - we tried.
Sell it to the public and it doesn't work; "You owe me $1M for each tooth that fell out!"

Seriously, most stuff designed for the military eventually makes it into the consumer market. Just a matter of time.

NOT!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

They reason they are geeks is because they are NOT on the go!

News just in from Singapore!

[external400kdiskette]

Visiting Marine battalion jailed for life after found with chewing gum.

treading gum...

[williamhb]

So when it gets stuck all over the streets the way regular chewing gum does, will it help prevent potholes?

Nothing really new there

[Pig Hogger]

Nothing really new there, NASA astro-nuts had teeth-cleaning gum for years.

Re:Nothing really new there

[Fear the Clam]

Meanwhile, the Russians just used a pencil.

Re:Nothing really new there

[Fox_1]

Do you mean this paragraph from your linked article?
Astronauts can brush their teeth much the way they do on Earth, with just a few minor changes. They can't leave the water running the way some people do, and they can't spit and rinse the toothpaste. They must either swallow it or spit it into a towel. Astronauts do have several dental aids. In weightlessness, salivation becomes more concentrated, which can lead to more tartar forming on the teeth. To prevent this, many astronauts chew gum and massage their gums to keep their mouths healthier.
Because if that is where this happened before then you are really stretching your interpertation of the article. I see nothing here to indicate that the astronauts aren't just chewing normal gum because of spitty mouths. I do see something here to indicate that the astronauts brush their teeth like normal folks on Earth.
This product, if tasty enough, could really change dental care for children and others in situations where they don't have their toothbrush and clean water. It's kinda a natural evolution of gum, I'm just surprised that it's only in recent years that the whitening gums and now cleaning gums are being developed.

Re:Nothing really new there

[Mortlath]

IIRC, graphite from pencils is dangerous to have floating around in an enclosed area. Graphite is a conductor and could harm the many electrical components inside the space capsule.

After a little googling, I found this (scroll down the page a bit to find the explaination) which explains a little more about it.

where does it stop?

[caffeinemessiah]

First it's the microwaves and fridges and coffee makers in the labs/cubicles/dungeons that we work in. Then come along hyper-caffeinated beverages to keep you going longer and longer. Choose anti-glare screens. Choose ergonomic mice. Choose Microsoft f***ing natural keyboards with advanced wrist support and a line of shortcut keys at the top. Choose free soda and free sugar, pumped handily into your veins. What next? Briefcase-sized port-a-potties so that we never, EVER have to leave the glare of the monitor?? STOP THE MADNESS!!!

Sounds nice, but the dentist told me...

[NCraig]

I've been told a few times that if you don't floss you might as well not even brush. I don't see how any gum could possibly be effective in the same way as flossing.

However, I'm impressed that the Army has finally found something of use for both soldiers and really lazy people.

Re:Sounds nice, but the dentist told me...

[Alioth]

Well, not quite. If you don't brush at all (especially with the typical sugary diet) you'll get cavities in no time.

One of the important things about toothpaste in general is the flouride. The flouride helps calcium present in your saliva precipitate out, and prevent incipient cavities from worsening. My Dad by the time he was 20 had many fillings. Thanks to the better toothpaste formulations, I'm 33 and still don't have a single filling - no tooth pain - no gum bleeding. I don't religiously floss my teeth every day either. Just brush my teeth with flouride toothpaste after each meal.

Re:Sounds nice, but the dentist told me...

[Anonymous Coward]

that's a load of shit.

Pot, kettle

what keaps cavities out is not the floride, althought one of it's chemical properties does retard the microbes that can reduce enimal layers and leach calcium.

Your teeth are made of a mineral called hydroxyapatite. Hydroxyapatite contains a hydroxide ion. There is a bacteria in the mouth (called S. Mutans) that produces an acid. This acid removes the hydroxide ion from the hydroxyapatite, making your teeth much, much weaker, leading to cavitites.

Fluoride ions (from toothpaste, drinking water, etc) replace the hydroxyide ions, creating fluoroapatite. Fluoroapatite is much, much more resistant to acid than hydroxyapatite, so the teeth are much, much stronger. Far less cavities occur.

It's simple high school chemistry. I guess someone wasn't paying attention in class.

It's the hot water recomended for not only comfort but to essectially disinfect your mouth.

You actually think that the hottest water that you can stand will kill bacteria? I've got a bridge in New York to sell you.

Re:Sounds nice, but the dentist told me...

[cocoamix]

I work in the field of dental research. (I work in a lab, so I never have to dig in anyone's mouth, ew).

The thing that really helps prevent cavities in your SALIVA. The bacteria in your mouth, streptococcus mutans, eats the sugar in your mouth. A byproduct of this is lactic acid, which breaks down the mineral in your enamel and dentin. Saliva acts as an acid buffer to prevent this. In addition there is a protein "web" called the pellicle layer which also protects teeth from acid and erosion.

Chewing gum stimulates saliva flow, which buffers the acid. Heck, chewing on plain old beeswax will help.

Re:Sounds nice, but the dentist told me...

[jafuser]

Here's a simple explanation:

- People who floss tend to have better personal hygine overall.

- People who have better personal hygine tend to take care of themselves more.

- People who take care of themselves more tend to live longer and healthier.

Therefore, flossing doesn't *cause* you to live longer/healthier. Flossing is an *effect* of having good personal hygine, which can help you live longer/healthier.

Noooo

[pcgamez]

The gum was the only good thing inside a MRE (other than the rare bag of Skittles).

Other news: Cola to replace flossing

[geneing]

In other news: Cola to replace flossing

This could be really dangerous!

[Chocolate Teapot]

I mean, what if this stuff actually tastes good too? Frontline soldiers will be chewing it incessantly, thus rendering them an easy target for snipers in the dark, who will be able to spot them because of their gleaming white teeth. "OK men, keep your heads down, watch your backs and for God's sake, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT!" I'd rather have plaque than a bullet in the gob anytime.

Once Again, Correlation != Causality

[Myriad]

They reason they are geeks is because they are NOT on the go!

<sigh>, when will Slashdot get it... once again, Correlation does not equate to Causality!

For example, sick people are not on the go. Geeks are not on the go, ergo geeks must be sick! Doesn't make sense, does it?

Now, that geeks are not on the go is supported by the fact that I'm sitting here on a lovely Saturday afternoon writing this. I'm certainly not on the go. However it's not because I'm not on the go that I'm sitting here posting on /., rather it's the other way around. I'm sitting here posting, which is preventing me from being on the go. Thus not being on the go is an effect rather than the actual cause.

Or something. I think I need some fresh air. :)

Blockwars: a free multiplayer, head to head game!

Oblig. Futurama Reference

[Dachannien]

Fry: Big Pink! It's the only gum with the breath-freshening power of ham.
Bender: And it pinkens your teeth while you chew!

Let me tell you about fluoridation, Mandrake

[Tetravus]

General Jack D. Ripper: Mandrake, do you realize that in addition to fluoridating water, why, there are studies underway to fluoridate salt, flour, fruit juices, soup, sugar, milk... ice cream. Ice cream, Mandrake, children's ice cream.
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: Lord, Jack.
General Jack D. Ripper: You know when fluoridation first began?
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: I... no, no. I don't, Jack.
General Jack D. Ripper: Nineteen hundred and forty-six. Nineteen forty-six, Mandrake. How does that coincide with your post-war Commie conspiracy, huh? It's incredibly obvious, isn't it? A foreign substance is introduced into our precious bodily fluids without the knowledge of the individual. Certainly without any choice. That's the way your hard-core Commie works.
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: Uh, Jack, Jack, listen, tell me, tell me, Jack. When did you first... become... well, develop this theory?
General Jack D. Ripper: Well, I, uh... I... I... first became aware of it, Mandrake, during the physical act of love.
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: Hmm.
General Jack D. Ripper: Yes, a uh, a profound sense of fatigue... a feeling of emptiness followed. Luckily I... I was able to interpret these feelings correctly. Loss of essence.
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: Hmm.
General Jack D. Ripper: I can assure you it has not recurred, Mandrake. Women uh... women sense my power and they seek the life essence. I, uh... I do not avoid women, Mandrake.
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: No.
General Jack D. Ripper: But I... I do deny them my essence.

Copied gratuitiously from the IMDB Memorable Quotes section. So you see, it's not a US plot. It's a commie plot.

Re:Ummm... ok.....

[ScentCone]

This is what's modded as "interesting?" First, the Army (if you RTFA) is expressing an interest in this - it's being worked on by a researcher outside the DOD. Second, countless products like this end up in similar form, used in the private sector. Defense-funded/initiated R&D produces all sorts of technologies and techniques that impact the wider economy. I'm sure plenty of long-haul truckers, pilots, backpackers and other folks will find something like this useful.

You ask "how about investing the money ... into other areas?"

There are undreds of thousands of people on active duty in our military. Their health is hard to maintain in the field, and anything that assists in that, even if it costs a few million bucks, is well spent. Better body armor, better vehicles, and yes, better overall health from reducing gum disease as a vector for infection (especially overseas). Get a grip.

Harbinger of a more peaceful army?

[Junior J. Junior III]

Heard somewhere on a future battlefield... "I came here to kick ass and chew gum, and I'm all out of... oh wait a minute, they just airlifted in a whole pallet of this stuff. Looks like I won't have to kill you today, after all!"