Snacking culture harming teeth

Research by the British Dental Health Foundation reveals two in every three people in the UK far from having three square meals, snack throughout the day, not giving their teeth time to recover from the acid attack caused by dental plaque and the sugar in foods and drinks potentially causing long term damage.

Not only is the constant snacking cause for concern, awareness of what snacks are healthy for teeth remains a problem. More than half (51 per cent) do not think cheese is good for oral health, yet two in every three people (67 per cent) think snacking on fresh and dried fruit throughout the day is of benefit.

The survey, which questioned more than 2,000 members of the public, was conducted by the British Dental Health Foundation ahead of National Smile Month, a campaign to improve the UK's oral health in 2013.

Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter OBE, believes a basic lack of knowledge could be behind the snacking culture.