The NHS could save £8.2m on dental treatments every year if all 12-year-olds chewed sugar-free gum three times a day, according to experts.
Gum can help prevent tooth decay by neutralising plaque acids and breaking down lingering food.
A study in the British Dental Journal suggests the cash saving - equivalent to 364,000 dental check-ups - could be boosted if the whole population got into the habit of chewing gum after every meal.
