People who snack during the night could be more at risk of needing emergency dentistry than those who do not.
This is according to scientists in the US and Denmark, whose study on eating after bedtime was published in the journal Eating Behaviours, the Irish Times reports.
After examining a number of subjects, it was found that nocturnal snackers were at much higher risk of tooth loss than people who mostly ate during the day.
It was suggested that this could be because saliva flow is lower at night, making it more difficult to get rid of the damaging substances in the food.
The newspaper commented: "It is a salutary reminder to everyone to brush and floss before bedtime to give those pearlies a proper rest."
Earlier this month, Liverpool John Moores University discovered that a third of children aged 12 could soon be in need of emergency dentistry if they do not take better care of their teeth.
