Dried fruits in cereal do not damage teeth.

Brits worried about damaging their teeth and the possibility of trip to the emergency dentist because of dried fruit in their cereal have been told to relax.

Professor Christine Wu, who headed a team of scientists from the University of Illinois, carried out a study to reveal whether sticky fruits such as raisins in cereal increased the risk of a person developing cavities.

She commented: “Studies have shown that raisins are rapidly cleared from the surface of the teeth just like apples, bananas and chocolate.”

As a result, no increased effect of decay was recorded, meaning the chances of this old wives’ tale being true are remote.

Elsewhere, Valoplife.com recently reported researchers at Kyushu University in Japan have found eating yoghurt could be beneficial to the gums.

A study by the research team concluded foods which contain high levels of lactic acid could be beneficial in tackling gum disease.