Does chewing gum really make you lose your singing voice?

Question:i just heard that the other day, something about loosening your jaw too much?? ruining your vocal chords??is this all true, should i stop chewing so much gum

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: i just heard that the other day, something about loosening your jaw too much?? ruining your vocal chords??is this all true, should i stop chewing so much gum

This is not true at all. Also, anything you may hear about sugary or creamy foods before singing are not necessarily true either. Everyone's body, including voice reacts differently to differnt substances. I am an accomplished singer and music teacher and I love to eat Ice Cream before I sing. Many may say I'm crazy but it helps me! This is certainly not true for everyone, but just stay in tune with how certain foods react to your voice and stay away from those that seem to effect it the most. I would not recommend chewing gum often however, because it can lead to jaw problems (TMJ) in the future. This is painful and yet very common in singers since we use our jaws more than most people. Just dont make a habit out of it, especially if you start to feel any discomfort. One universal tip for singers....drink lots of water EVERY day! This will keep you hydrated and keep the vocal chords lubricated for optimal vocal production!

thats not true because you can only loose your voice if your sick.

Whoever said that probably MEANT that eating anything sugary before singing can hurt your performance. My choir teacher called it "sugar coating the vocal chords." It won't ruin your voice forever!!! It's just not good to eat anything too sweet (or creamy) right before a concert or a show. Try drinking hot tea. Warm things like that really help your vocal chords.

Absolutely not. Chewing gum certainly won't "loosen your jaw too much;" some people actually feel it tenses their jaw too much from the chewing.

Be that as it may, there is no way chewing gum, eating candy, or drinking/eating anything specific can "ruin your vocal cords." Certainly you should not consume too much caffeine or alcohol on a day you plan to sing a lot, because these have a drying effect, nor should you eat or drink anything that coats your throat too much within an hour of the performance. Other than that, don't worry so much.

That's funny, some teacher probably made that up to make students stop chewing gum, a lot of teachers think that gum chewing is low class and crude, ...she figured she would scare kids into thinking that they would ruin their voices by chewing gum....don't worry...it will not make you lose your singing voice....if you don't believe me as an ENT, (ear, nose, and throat Dr.) chew away, and don't worry !!!!!!!!

As others have mentioned, it won't do anything to your voice, but may wear out your jaw muscles.

And as for the comments about sugary or creamy things coating your vocal cords, that malarkey has been around forever. The reality is that if any food or liquid from your mouth was able to "coat" your vocal cords, you would also choke because that would mean the stuff was on its way to your lungs! You can drink 100 gallons of milk before singing and it won't affect your cords. :-) But as with any food or drink, you shouldn't consume anything [other than plain water] right before singing -- you'll have residual stuff in your throat. At the very least, swallow some water to wash everything away.