Certain foods are better for oral health than others.

A US dentist has offered some advice to people looking to improve their overall oral health by knowing what foods will cause them the greatest emergency dentistry problems.

Lisa Harper Mallonee, a dental hygienist and dietician who is also a professor at the Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas, said slow dissolving, sugary foods – like hard candies – are especially bad for the teeth as they do not allow the mouth to regain a neutral pH level for a long time.

She commented: “In dentistry, we look at three major nutritional issues: the forms of the food, the frequency of consumption and the timing.”

As a result, it is important to separate meals throughout the day and to ensure sticky foods are cleaned off the teeth as quickly as possible after consumption.

Elsewhere, research carried out by Aquafresh recently revealed 52 per cent of all Americans feel they are not getting the best out of their present oral health routine.