Chewing nicotine gum versus smoking a cigarette?

I wanted to find out if there are any long-term health consequences if someone uses nicotine gum rather than smoking cigarettes. Can someone develop lung or oral cancer if they just chew nicotine gum over a long period of time? I know that smoking cigarettes can cause cancer plus you're exposing people to second-hand smoke. I know some people when they are trying to quit smoking, they use the nicotine gum instead.

The nicotine doesn't do any physical damage to the body. Chewing nicotine gum for the rest of your life would be better than smoking.

i don't believe so. the gum is designed to get people to quit. besides most of the damage done to the body isn't just the nicotine but the other ingredients

That would depend on how long you used the nicotine gum. Nicotine is a stimulant drug and has long term effects just like excessive use of caffeine and any other drug. Gum chewing on a regular basis wears on the jaw itself and can cause a condition known as TMJ. This is a popping of the jaw due to excessive small movements of that joint. Grinding your teeth contributes to this as well. So basically, if you use the gum as intended, to milk your body off of it's addiction to nicotine when you stop smoking, and eventually quit chewing the gum as well, then the risks are less than continuing to smoke, but if you just use the gum as a nicotine substitute for an indefinite period, you are probably setting yourself up for other long term effects.