To my understanding yes, when the ingredients list includes "gum base", which is a mixture of chemicals like polyethylene (plastic). I believe there are chewing gum products that don't include "gum base" or any other plastic ingredients

it's usually xylitol, but yes.

Mostly, yes. Although the aspartame part is optional, it could be any other sweetener or even real sugar.

It's not natural to have minty fresh breath. It's natural to succumb to infection and die, though, so don't worry if that happens.

it's mostly a type of latex, some waxes, vegetable oils, lecithin, and glycerin, terpenes, but not polymer plastics.

Floss daily. That's the best way to ensure your breath isn't bad.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gum_base

I was today years old when I learned that talc is used as a filler in in acidic gums, so like every fruit flavor.

Hope they are paying for the asbestos free talc.

I heard that myself a couple years ago and was equally disappointed/disbelieving. I started looking for more natural plant-based alternatives, but they're actually a plastic polymer too. If you're out hiking and forage for spruce/pine resin directly from the source: it's still plastic. Very surprising, not what I would have intuited.

It's not my field so I don't know if the plant-based stuff is the same level of harm as petroleum-based plastic, but I would imagine either way it's breaking down into undigestible particles that you're stuck with for life.

As far as an alternative goes for minty breath: nothing stops you from cutting out the middleman and chewing on mint leaves directly. They grow like weeds so if you get some in your garden you'll never run out. I guess the freshness probably doesn't last as long that way, but it makes up for itself in intensity which is just as important for a palate cleanser imo. You could probably get more mileage out of it by turning it into iced tea, then you can sip it whenever you need some freshness.

If dental hygiene/healthcare isn't doing it or isn't accessible, then the next best I've found is certain softer wood. I have some sensory issues with anything putting pressure on my gums so I need to constantly keep food remnants out and also have something of an oral fixation so having something in my mouth is calming.

Some tree branches are great for chewing on. I used to live in an area with lots of Sassafras trees and those sapling branches were great for it. They have a bit of a waxy texture that I kind of liked. I've heard they also have a very mild stimulant effect in the bark as well which probably helped when I would grab them when hiking, but they don't have a scent, though you could grab some mint leaves to supplement for that.

I also tend to get some good quality toothpicks (I like bamboo ones personally though they're sometimes not as strong for picking) and soak them in a little bit of good quality tea tree oil that's safe for ingesting (some is only safe for external cosmetic purposes). They're good for picking food remnants which leads to bad breath, as well as chewing and tea tree oil has a mild disinfecting effect as well as leaving breath smelling fresh. But you could also soak them in mint oils (again make sure they are not just cosmetic grade, but also culinary grade).

Those oils are strong, though, so only a little is needed, but might still be too bitter for some. A little artificial sweetener mixed in before soaking might help if the taste is bothersome. Natural sugar is probably not good, though, since it will just make cavities worse and thus make your breath worse.

Microplastics specifically mean small bits, like hard plastic that's crumbled. Gum is more like a really soft rubber. If you swallow it, then that's a macroplastic. If you don't, it's fine, because it's not really flaking off.

Like someone else mentioned, they can also use natural, but still inedible ingredients to provide the chewyness, not just artificial polymers.

Well shit.

Edit: Apparently me being mad at finding this out is downvote worthy? I'm just scratching my head at this one.

I'm not a nutritionist or a food chemist so I have no idea about the micro plastics

You could make like the log lady in Twin Peaks and chew on pitch. No idea about flavor or whatever.

Nah.

Sometimes it's basically just plastic with sorbitol.

Dang, any suggestions on plastic-free alternatives to chew on? I’ve been chewing gum the past couple weeks to work my jaw more to help my tense jaw muscles.

Floss 👍