Chewing tobacco is a form of smokeless tobacco consisting of cured and processed leaves placed between the cheek and gum or teeth. Unlike cigarettes, this product is not combusted, but it still contains nicotine and various chemical compounds. The question of whether sugar is present has a clear answer: yes, chewing tobacco often contains significant amounts of added sugar. This sugar plays a specific role in manufacturing and has direct consequences for the user’s oral health.
The Essential Role of Sugar in Curing and Processing
Sugars are incorporated into chewing tobacco for two main functional purposes. The first is to improve the texture and moisture content of the leaves after curing. Sugars act as humectants, helping the tobacco retain moisture and preventing it from becoming overly dry and brittle.
The second purpose is to improve palatability by masking the tobacco’s naturally bitter or harsh taste. The flavor is often made more appealing by the addition of sweetening agents.
The amount of sugar in chewing tobacco is highly variable but often present in high concentrations. Studies analyzing loose-leaf and plug chewing tobacco found mean total sugar contents ranging from over 9% to as high as 27.5% of the product’s weight. This high content results from manufacturers adding sugars during the processing stage.
Types of Sugars and Sweeteners Used in Products
The sweetening agents in chewing tobacco are a mix of caloric sugars and non-caloric artificial sweeteners, though caloric sugars typically make up the bulk of the added sweetness. Common caloric sugars include sucrose (standard table sugar) and various forms of corn syrup. These ingredients are often used in a process called “casing,” where the tobacco is treated with a mixture to adjust its flavor and moisture content.
Other specific sugars detected are monosaccharides like glucose and fructose, which can be found in the molasses often used in the casing mixture. The high variability in sugar content suggests that manufacturers are intentionally manipulating the sweetness to modify the taste and characteristics of the product.
Some smokeless products, particularly moist snuff, may also use high-intensity artificial sweeteners like saccharin. Newer products like Swedish snus often contain high levels of sucralose. However, chewing tobacco, specifically loose leaf and plug varieties, is known to contain the highest total sugar levels among all smokeless tobacco categories.
Dental Health Consequences of Added Sugar
The presence of high sugar levels in chewing tobacco creates a significant and prolonged risk to the user’s dental health. When the product is placed in the mouth, the sugars dissolve in the saliva, creating a sugary paste held directly against the gum line and tooth surfaces for extended periods. This constant exposure provides an ideal food source for the bacteria naturally present in the mouth, such as Streptococcus mutans.
These oral bacteria metabolize the sugars and produce acidic byproducts, which rapidly lower the pH level in the mouth. The prolonged presence of this acid leads to the demineralization of tooth enamel, the hard outer layer of the tooth, initiating tooth decay (dental caries). This process is exacerbated because the product is held in place for a long time, concentrating the sugar and acid in one area.
Chewing tobacco users have a higher risk of developing cavities, particularly near the gum line where the tobacco rests. Furthermore, the constant irritation and inflammation caused by the tobacco often lead to gum recession, causing the gums to pull away from the teeth. When the gums recede, they expose the tooth roots, which are softer than enamel and even more susceptible to decay from the sugars in the product.