Whether you live in Sacramento or Roseville, maintaining healthy teeth should be a top priority. Ignoring one’s oral health can lead to a variety of health problems like gingivitis and possible cardiovascular ailments. Many factors can contribute to the health of teeth and gums, but recent research suggest that late night snacking may lead to future tooth loss. Unless you want to visit an emergency dentist to fix your teeth, you should first know about the scientific link between late night snacking and tooth loss, as well as what you can do to prevent a future visit to an emergency dentist.

Late night snacking is suspected to contribute to many negative health effects. Some examples include weight gain, poor sleep, and even tooth loss. Several studies have been conducted in order to research the link between late night snacking and tooth loss, but arguably none are more important than the study done by University of Missouri-Kansas City and Copenhagen University. 

To give a general overview of the late night snacking and tooth loss study, 2,217 people, ranging from age 30 to 60, were reviewed by researchers to study their oral health and eating behavior. Of the 2,217 participants, roughly eight percent were identified as nocturnal eaters. The study showed that these nocturnal eaters were more likely to experience tooth loss and overall worse oral health than the other non-nocturnal eaters. Research knowledge is not the only thing individuals should learn in order to protect their teeth though.

Research can give insight into correlations between two stimuli, but the information provided by the research needs to be applicable in order to serve a real, tangible purpose. What most people will take away from the study is they should not eat late at night. Although this is sound advice, there is more to protecting one’s teeth than just stopping nocturnal eating. Anyone and everyone should brush and also floss after each meal, no matter what time of day the meal is eaten.

Some people, either because of work or other commitments, will not be able to avoid eating late at night. If this sounds familiar, you should make sure to floss and brush very well after every meal. Some people are content to floss and brush just once or twice a day, but when eating at night, taking proactive measures to keep one’s teeth as clean as possible is very important. Regularly not brushing or flossing after meals can lead to a multitude of oral health problems.

Many people may choose to ignore the advice given to them by an orthodontist or Sacramento emergency dentist regarding late night snacking and oral health. Doing so can be very foolish because taking care of one’s teeth can produce many benefits. Not only do great looking smiles improve one’s appearance and self-confidence, but clean teeth can also lower one’s risk for cardiovascular health problems. If you are in the Sacramento or Roseville area, visiting your local orthodontist or emergency dentist can help make sure your teeth stay at their best. They will have the knowledge and experience to make sure your teeth look and feel their best on a daily basis.