Ever heard the saying 'no snacking before meals? Parents will most often use this as a reason for not allowing their kids to spoil their appetite before meals by having any sugary treats or carbonated drinks. But believe it or not that is not the main reason their kids or as a matter of affect anyone should do it.
Yes it does spoil one's appetite but it also allows cariogenic bacteria to stick to your tooth surface. Now what are cariogenic bacteria? These are bacteria that actually breakdown your tooth structure leading to the formation of caries that can crack and destroy your tooth.
So to prevent this from happening it is essential to remove these bacteria from your tooth surface every time you eat a meal or snack on something. The logical thing to do would be to brush your teeth after consuming any food which is what everyone who practices good oral hygiene does.
But let's say you snack in between your meals, it means you will be constantly spending your time in the toilet brushing your teeth! Rather than do that, just have the snacks with your meals because there is another thing that helps clear cariogenic bacteria from your tooth surface besides tooth brushing, your saliva!
The human mouth is constantly being cleansed by saliva but it's only for a temporary basis. You would still need to brush your teeth to properly clean it no matter how much saliva your mouth produces. But the saliva does help in washing away the bacteria from your teeth.
However, you would need a sufficient amount to do so which is usually produced when you are consuming a decent amount of food during your meals. Normal snacking will not stimulate enough saliva to remove or wash away bacteria from your tooth.
So that is why dentists often advise you to have snacks with your usual meals. It will stimulate enough saliva to temporarily clean your teeth, and after brushing it will completely eliminate any cariogenic bacteria left thus maintaining your oral health and keeping your teeth intact.
In conclusion if you do have a habit of snacking, have it with your meals rather than in between them so that enough saliva can temporarily keep those pesky bacteria away from your teeth.
Comments