Dentistry Today: U.S. Army Combat Chewing Gum
CNN has Army considering combat chewing gum
So goes the logic behind a recent endeavor by Army and civilian scientists — combat gum for soldiers too busy to brush.
The gum, described at the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists convention this week in Nashville, would contain a special bacteria-fighting agent to prevent plaque, cavities and gum disease.
Soldiers in the field often lack the necessary time and means to brush and floss. Compounding the problem is the stress of combat, which can encourage bacterial growth in the mouth, said Col. Dennis Runyan, commander of the Army Dental and Trauma Research Detachment in Great Lakes, Illinois.
Gum was considered an ideal solution because the Army already issues gum to soldiers in their field rations.
This has wide application and the “magic mouthwash” to combat tooth decay (caries) that dentistry has sought for so long may indeed be in a chewing gum format.
And why not?