Dental Health Warning Over Late Night Snacking

Thu, 03 Jun 2010

People who eat snacks late at night are putting their oral health at risk, a new study has revealed.

Dental researchers from Denmark and the US analysed data from over two thousand medical records to identify how eating late at night affects the teeth and gums .

They found that 8 per cent ate more than a quarter of their calorie allowance after tea time at least twice a week.

The study suggested that these nocturnal eaters were much more likely to end up damaging and losing their teeth than people who ate the majority of their calories during the day and avoided snacking late at night or in the early hours of the morning.

According to the researchers, this is because the mouth is dry at night and food particles are left to linger for a long period of time. Saliva helps to wash away and break down food debris after eating, but at night there is less saliva in the mouth and therefore food cannot be removed so easily.

The research team said that although it is impossible to prevent people from eating late at night, people should at least be aware of the potential dangers to their teeth and gums of late night snacking, and called on dentists to share this information with their patients.

Professor Damien Walmsley, an advisor to the British Dental Health Foundation, echoed the researchers’ comments and urged patients to ensure they brush their teeth twice a day, especially before going to sleep.
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