Welcome to Squiz Kids Science Shorts, the show where we take your big, curly questions and unpack the big science stories everyone's talking about, break them down into snack-sized science-powered answers.
We sort out the fact from the fluff, keep it fun, keep it fast.
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What do Stone Age people, Aztec kids, and just about everyone in your class have in common?
Yep, they all chew gum.
It turns out humans have been doing it for thousands of years.
Stone Age people chewed sticky tree tar.
The Maya and Aztecs chewed chickle sap from the sapodilla tree.
And today we're still chewing, just with a lot more science behind it.
So let's stick to the facts and fact check five big ideas about gum.
Number one, can you chew gum instead of brushing your teeth?
Short answer, no.
But sugar-free gum does something cool.
It makes your mouth flood with saliva.
Saliva washes away acid, protects enamel and helps to repair tiny tooth injuries.
Some gums even contain xylitol, which in lab tests can stop cavity-causing bacteria sticking to your teeth.
Minty gum can hide bad breath, sure, but it's not a replacement for brushing with toothpaste.
Think of gum as a rinse cycle.
Brushing is the scrub.
Number two, is modern chewing gum made of plastic?
Surprisingly, yes, a lot of it is.
Many gum bases are made from chewy synthetic polymers, the same family of materials used in things like plastic bags and car tyres.
And new studies show lots of gums, even the plant-based ones, can shed microplastics while you chew.
Now we don't really have good evidence that microplastics cause problems in our bodies, but it's good to keep in mind.
So yes, the plastic gum rumours are true.
Number three, does chewing gum help you concentrate?
There is science here.
Chewing increases blood flow to your brain, giving you a teeny attention boost.
Kind of like turning the brightness up a notch on a torch.
And one study found that chewing gum actually helped people get rid of earworms.
Not the wriggly kind, but the songs that get stuck in your head.
Because your jaw is busy, your brain can't play the tune as easily.
So next time Baby Shark gets stuck on repeat, you know what to do.
Question number four.
Can chewing gum help with mewing?
Mewing, if you don't know, is an online trend where people press their tongue up to the roof of their mouth and try and reshape their face.
But here's the truth.
There is no good scientific evidence that chewing gum or mewing can sculpt your jawline.
You might strengthen your chewing muscles a bit, but over chewing can actually hurt your jaw joints.
So no, gum won't give you a superhero jawline.
Number five, and the big myth does swallowed gum stay in your stomach for seven years?
Absolutely not.
Your stomach can't digest gum, but your gut muscles do a really good job at keeping everything moving.
So gum exits the same way as everything else does, usually in a couple of days.
But be warned, swallowing lots of gum at once can cause blockages, especially in little kids.
And remember, sugar-free gum with xylitol in it is super dangerous for dogs.
Even one piece can make them really, really sick.
So chewing gum has a long, sticky, surprisingly scientific history.
So next time you're blowing a bubble, remember that there's a whole world of weird chemistry, biology and brain science happening.
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On next week's Squiz Kids Science Shorts.
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