Army Introduces Combat Gum

Dental emergencies account for ten percent of all injuries that cause soldiers to be evacuated from the battlefield. Ranging from mild infections like gingivitis, there are 47 types of dental emergencies that soldiers face while serving. The Army Institute of Surgical Research is looking to reduce those numbers dramatically. Over the course of seven years they have spent over twelve million dollars on a gum that aims to alleviate dental emergencies while serving. So what have they come up with? Combat gum.

It’s widely known that chewing sugar-free gum after meals can help curb plaque and dental infections. Chewing stimulates the flow of saliva in your mouth that works to neutralize the acids found in plaque. However, Trident won’t cut it for the men and women serving overseas. Enter Combat gum. The Army has added an ingredient to the formula that actually kills the bacteria molecules that cause dental decay. Within 5 minutes of chewing the gum gets to work minimizing plaque.

Combat gum is not meant to replace regular brushing and flossing but rather as an added precaution. Currently, they recommend soldiers chew for twenty minutes, three times a day. This may seem like a trivial job but curbing the amount of dental emergencies will save the military an estimated hundred million dollars annually.

While the Army is looking to treat the solider on the field, it’s also useful to look to the past. According to researchers, forty percent of recruits enter the Army with at least three cavities untreated. This is a scary number as dental health affects your entire body. Daily brushing and flossing will greatly reduce your risk for gingivitis and other diseases and until Combat gum enters the market, daily oral hygiene is your best bet.