Late-night Snacking and Tooth Loss

Everyone has heard that late-night snacking is bad for your waistline. New studies point out, however, that it may also be bad for your teeth and gums. To learn more about good oral health habits, visit our Torrance dentist and talk about ways to keep your smile healthy and prevent problems with your teeth.

A study funded by the World Health Organization (WHO) found that people who ate late at night had more cavities, on average, than people who did not eat after their evening meal. This may be due to a couple of factors.

First, late-night snacking often consists of foods with simple carbohydrates—popcorn, candy, cookies, and cereals are common snacks, and all of them have high amounts of sugars. However, a surprising aspect of this study was that even when people snacked on low-sugar foods, the spike in cavities was still observed.

Scientists speculate that the other factor causing the cavities has nothing to do with the content of the food itself. Rather, at night, saliva production tends to decrease. This results in less moisture to wash away crumbs of food left on the teeth, and may well lead to higher cavity rates. Dentists recommend that you eat no later than one hour before bedtime, and brush your teeth before retiring, to prevent cavities and gum disease.

Our Torrance cosmetic dentist is ready to discuss your oral hygiene and give you good advice on how to prevent oral health issues. Make an appointment today and start enjoying your healthiest, brightest smile ever!

Scheduling regular dental checkups with our dentist is essential. With regular checkups, our dentist can perform dental exam and dental cleaning and determine the conditions of your teeth. If needed, our dentist can then come up with a plan to address all your problems and bring your teeth back to a healthy condition.

Source: Torrance Cosmetic Dentist

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