Eating late at night is an easy way to gain weight but  midnight snacks have been found to be bad for your dental health as well.  A study published in the August issue of Eating Behaviors reveals that eating food late at night contributes to tooth loss.  Surprisingly, this outcome was not dependent upon the types of food eaten.  The researchers believe that the reason for increased dental problems could be due to reduced saliva flow at night.

During the day our saliva is constantly bathing our teeth and washing away food particles.  At night  production of saliva dries up.  The study about dental health and late night snacks was conducted by researchers at the University of Missouri – Kansas City and Copenhagen University in Denmark.  Using data from a  World Health Organization medical study called MONICA (MONItoring trends and determinants of CArdiovacular disease) they looked at the oral health, eating behaviors and general health of the subjects.  They discovered that about 8% of them were night-time eaters (they ate after dinner or woke at night to eat).

Even after taking into account the type of food eaten at night, whether it contained sugar or carbohydrates (both favorite foods of oral bacteria which cause gum disease), the people who ate at night lost more teeth than people who didn’t eat at night. To prevent tooth loss if you are a night time eater, the researchers strongly suggest that everyone should have only water during the final hour before bedtime and then brush their teeth.

If you are a midnight snacker living in the Columbus area contact Dr. Mark Levy today to schedule a consultation and discuss ways to keep your teeth and gums healthy for life.  If you are nervous about visiting the dentist remember that Dr. Levy uses various ways to reduce your anxiety including sedation dentistry.  Call 614-476-6696 today to find out more about a more comfortable way to achieve a healthy, beautiful smile!