Fresh breath is a popular concern among most people in Costa Rica; this much is evident by the retail displays of mint candy and chewing gum that can be seen next to cash registers at supermarkets, pulperias (convenience stores), sodas (cafeterias), restaurants, bookstores, drugstores, and even cell phone repair shops.

Normally, an obsession over fresh breath could be deemed to be a good thing from a social interaction point of view; however, many of the items sold in the aforementioned retail displays would not be recommended by dental health professionals. In general, the only item that should be purchased from those retail displays is sugar-free chewing gum.

The problem with many breath mints and other candies is that they contain sugar. According to the Flikier Institute of Oral Rehabilitation, a prestigious clinic in Costa Rica that caters to dental tourists, sugar is the number one cause of tooth decay, and it is an unfortunate ingredient in many candies sold as fresh breath solutions.

Sugar-free chewing gum is made with flavor ingredients that promote fresh breath. These ingredients are usually chemical variations of mint, the catchall name for substances extracted from plants of the genus Mentha, which tend to be pleasantly aromatic.

The chlorophyl levels found in mint help fight the mouth bacteria that causes bad breath, but there’s more to sugar-free gum that can contribute to improve your oral health in Costa Rica. After every meal, the acidic levels in the mouth increase due to plaque bacteria; this acid is exacerbated by sugar, and it can lead to decay of the tooth enamel.

Chewing sugar-free gum has two dental benefits: First of all, it promotes the production of saliva, which is a natural plaque fighter. The other benefit is that 30 minutes of chewing sugar-free gum can stimulate the production of minerals in the mouth, which are nourishing for the enamel.

In the end, chewing gum can be good for you in Costa Rica, but only if it is the sugar-free kind.