There’s one two-hour window in the afternoon during which you should never eat, due to the impact it can have on your teeth, according to one dentist.
While it’s obviously important to regularly brush and floss your teeth, avoiding food for the two hours after lunch can also help keep your teeth strong and healthy.
Award-winning dentist Dr Alex Foo from Aria Dental has said that after lunch it’s important to give your mouth a break for a couple of hours.
He said: “Allowing your saliva to naturally clean and remineralise your teeth for at least two hours after a meal can greatly reduce the risk of cavities and enamel erosion.
“In the morning, saliva tends to be more acidic and flows more slowly.
“However, after lunch, the pH of your saliva rises, which makes it more effective at protecting your teeth by helping to remineralise enamel.”
Dr Foo also emphasises the importance of a healthy lunch. He said: “What you eat at midday can impact the quality of your saliva for the rest of the afternoon.
“A salad or other healthy options can promote better oral health. Using a little xylitol after lunch can also help stimulate beneficial saliva production.”
To help protect your teeth, Dr Foo advises avoiding snacking or consuming drinks other than water during the two-hour window after lunch.
This allows your saliva to do its job of keeping your teeth clean and protecting them from decay.
He added: “These small changes in routine can make a big difference to your long-term dental health.”