happy:blissful!

Everyday Gum…

Yes, the Journey continues. (I feel obligated to finish what I had previously started.)

So what defines a stick of ‘Everyday’ Gum? It’s the gum you can rely on for fresh breath, sound taste, and a pain-free chew.

Again, I feel that my knowledge in this field can assist you in finding the best choice for gum chewing. Especially for Everyday chewing- because this is the gum you can rely on!

From 8th-11th grade, I relied on Wrigley’s Extra Peppermint (but only a half-piece at a time) to maintain fresh breath. The green Spearmint was just a bit too strong, and slowly the chew became quite tedious- my chewing couldn’t keep up to the pace of the quickly vanishing taste. (And, in 7th grade, I placed a piece of Spearmint in my mouth, and instantaneously it turned into liquid. I was stuck in the middle of Mrs. Jones’ English Class with a mouthful of liquid gum- what to do…? Well, that’s another story.)

And yes, when Wrigley later revealed their new flavor- Polar Ice- that too became my ‘go-to’ gum. But, soon the crystals in the gum, which were the polar ice, became too strong- I no longer needed my sinuses cleared every time I chewed it.

Of course, there’s always the reliable Trident gum, which, was the first sugar-free gum on the market in the 1960s! So, needless to say, Trident has always been a substitute for my ‘go-to’ gum. I could rely on both the Spearmint and Original flavors. (The Original is in the blue packaging… I’m assuming it’s a mixture of Peppermint/Spearmint, and rather than name it PepperSpear, they dubbed it Original.)

One recent feature that helped the quality of Trident gum is the change in packaging. Rather than rip through the outside packaging to get to the next piece, (and have an excess in paper that ends up in your jeans pocket, to be later found in the dryer stuck to your black shirts…) simply open the back, take a piece out, and close the back by placing it in the open slot. Thank you Trident!

Orbit… Ah, Orbit. I love Orbit.

Orbit was introduced in 2001 with standard flavors, including Peppermint, Spearmint, Cinnamint, and Bubblemint. I quickly began choosing, religiously, Peppermint and Spearmint as my ‘go-to’ gum. The Peppermint, in the blue packaging, has a very sweet sharp Peppermint taste, and it’s yummy. And, Spearmint’s, in the green packaging, flavor has a long-lasting punch.

My technique for chewing Orbit was eating a half-piece at a time. But, soon, my gum chewing habit hit rock bottom. It did. My jaw hurt at the end of the day, and I was eating 1 pack of Orbit gum each day, which equals 14 sticks in a single day, and 70 sticks in an average work week. And, yes, Orbit is a pricier gum, so it also became an expensive habit. (A pack of gum at a Maverick gas station is $1.29. Wowzers.)

So, although I love Orbit, the elasticity of the gum didn’t last long enough- my jaw was hurting, I was buying a pack of gum a day, and I couldn’t stop. I needed a new alternative.

So, finally, after countless taste experiments, what is the best Everyday Gum?

Dentyne Ice’s Wild Winter in Soft Chew!

The Soft Chew is the crucial element to making this gum so dynamic. Dentyne gum usually has the coated shell, but the Soft Chew is different. No coated shell. No weird packaging that you have to push your gum out of- Just soft gum with a perfect flavor.

The flavor is a happy medium between Peppermint and Polar Ice. Not too heavy- sinuses aren’t fully cleared- not too sweet- you’ll continually be satisfied with the flavor chew after chew- and, the flavor is continually maintained.

If you haven’t tried it, which you may have not, since it’s new, go buy a pack. You won’t regret it.

Tip: Chew ½ pieces at a time.

What's your favorite Everday Gum?