The coronavirus outbreak has had an impact on a lot of different aspects of life, and it is also having an effect on our oral health! Research recently brought out by the Oral Health Foundation explains how staying at home over lockdown has resulted in Britain snacking more often. The damage caused on the teeth from this could be worrying, with more people needing to plan their next trip to their dentists north wales early.
The data from the study shows that 38% of adults in Britain have begun snacking more often. This has affected the younger generation a lot more, with 61% of young adults admitting to reach for a snack between meals.
Snacking is now a cause for concern in families who have younger children. 70% percent of these families said they have noticed an increase in the amount of snacks they are consuming together, more than double those who do not live with children.
The Oral Health Foundation is concerned about the effect all this sancking could have on the teeth of the nation. The Chief Executive of the charity Dr Nigel Carter OBE has explained how the country has gradually moved away from just eating our three main meals, and increased our snacking habits. Over lockdown this has become even more apparent, as the changes in our lives, not going to work, and not leaving our homes more often has led to snacking.
He goes on to say “Snacking could be the result of boredom and the need to find a distraction that gives us short-term comfort. The problem is that snacking can have serious repercussions for our health.”
This is because, when we consume anything, plaque will begin to build up on our teeth. The acids from this cause decay and erosion. Usually, our mouths will combat these acids with our saliva, but snacking doesn’t give our mouths the chance to protect itself.
There are some things you can do to help your mouth if you have increased snacking. One of the most effective and simple ways to protect your mouth is to chew sugar free chewing gum after eating. This causes the mouth to produce more saliva which is our natural defence against acids that cause decay and erosion.
Saliva usually takes around an hour to rebuild the minerals that the acid has lost, but by chewing gum for just 20 minutes after snacking on food and drinks, you can increase the saliva flow resulting in it working quicker.
