CHEWING STICK WEARS OUT THE SURFACE OF THE TOOTH, DENTIST WARNS

   A Dental Surgeon with Bethel Dental Clinic, Abuja, Dr Isikwei Uche  has stated that the constant use of chewing stick gradually wears out the gum and tooth surface. the doctor said that people use chewing stick most times is as a result of their socio-cultural background.
   The doctor said that people who use chewing stick apply a lot of pressure on the teeth and on the gum in order to a have a clean wash but this practice over a period of time gradually wears away the teeth surface and gum.
"when you apply pressure you bruise the gum, wear the gum and this causes gum regression" said the doctor.The doctor also said that "chewing sticks cannot be used to clean inner parts of the teeth because is just straight and does not have the ability to reach the inner parts of the mouth"
The doctor further explained that chewing sticks control mouth odour but does not have the mint readily available in most toothpastes.The use of chewing sticks does not have any health issues but the issue is that it is poor in management of the oral environment the doctor said that "For some people that use it, it is easy to carry about, it is readily available, it is less expensive to purchase. the doctor also noted that "When using chewing sticks, it helps the user to exercise the jaw and can as well induce the production of saliva in the mouth".