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SNACK ATTACKS PUT UK DENTAL HEALTH AT RISK
A growing British habit of eating snacks is exposing the population to an increased risk of tooth decay, says Denplan, the UK's leading dental plan provider, threatening to reverse the trend of improving dental health recorded over the last three decades.
Changes in the nation's diet over the last generation mean that teeth are increasingly subject to acid attacks. Well into the 1960s most people ate regular meals and snacks were an exception. But today the picture is reversed. Britain now leads Europe in the quantity of snacks eaten, consuming more savoury snacks than the rest of Western Europe
combined.
The company warns that it is not just the amount we eat but what and how often we eat that damages teeth. Denplan's chief dental officer, Dr Roger Matthews
said:- "The snack generation is not only gaining weight, it also faces a potential increase in tooth decay. People who graze frequently throughout the day are leaving their teeth vulnerable to regular acid attacks.
"Every time we eat, acid is created when the saliva breaks down starches and sugars. An acid level below pH 5.5 attacks the enamel on teeth and leaves them vulnerable to decay."
As well as chocolate bars, sweets and sugar in drinks, many savoury snacks also contain sugars. The UK accounts for some 51 per cent of the total value of European savoury snack sales. This is way ahead of Germany in second place with an 18 per cent share, followed by France (14 per cent), Spain (9 per cent), and Italy (8 per cent). Allowing for different national prices and populations, this suggests that the average Brit eats four times the quantity of savoury snacks a day, compared to the Germans and nearly seven times more than the Italians.
Britons are now exposing their teeth to the risk of acid attack on average six times a day. This is estimated to be double the frequency of 40 years ago, when three meals a day and fewer snacks was the norm. These levels of acid exposure are expected to continue to rise significantly as a result of the increasing consumption of savoury and sweet snacks in the average diet.
Some sectors of the population, notably many children and young or single adults, are already at greater risk, exposing their teeth to acid attacks up to ten times a day due to the growing habit of snacking instead of eating regular meals.
"The risk of tooth decay can be limited by reducing the amount of snacking, by flossing, eating sugar-free chewing gum or finishing a meal with an alkaline food such as cheese. Dentists recommend people snack less and, when possible, eat chocolate, and sweet drinks only at the end of the meal rather than on a separate snacking occasion," continued Dr Matthews.
Although people are advised to brush following meals, this may not be enough to stop the decay caused by increasing acidity levels in the mouth after frequent eating."
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- FILM
REVIEW:-
- Dodgeball... A True Underdog Story
WHAT a fun and entertaining film this is. With all the bad news, doom and gloom around, this is a good movie that will make you feel good. It entertains and keeps you firmly glued to the seat. Just who will win, Average Joe's or the evil Globo Gym Cobras? As the tagline goes, "A true underdog
story", will unfold... With an onslaught of jokes, some even daring to take the mickey out of the American way of life, it will have you rolling around in your seat. The film plot is really well constructed and considering it is an American film, full of humorous jokes. You could think it was a British film at times... Anyway the story goes like this... Vince Vaughn, played by Peter La Fleur, and his gang decide to enter an international dodgeball competition in Las Vegas, so that they can win $50,000 to save their gym. Sadly, the gym is old and falling down, but it is home to the men... Across the road is the evil, sorry, very evil, Ben Stiller, played by Whit Goodman, who goes to amazing lengths to stop them. A bit of a warning...
DO NOT LEAVE when it seems to be the end and the fat man sings, your sides may be bursting and your face will be red as the credits roll...but the film ain't over yet, for at the conclusion of the credits, comes more fun which is not a short run of out-takes. No, this is even more film that is specially made for the end. I cannot say more than that as it would ruin the surprise. Well worth staying in you seat that extra bit longer!
Our
Film Rating = Five
out of Five
UK rated as 12a for rude and sexual humour, and language.
Runtime:- 92 min
Directed by:- Rawson Marshall Thurber
First billed cast only:-
Vince Vaughn by Peter La Fleur, Christine Taylor by Kate Veatch, Ben Stiller by White Goodman, Rip Torn by Patches O'Houlihan, Justin Long by Justin, Stephen Root by Gordon, Joel Moore by Owen (as Joel David Moore), Chris Williams by Dwight, Alan Tudyk by Steve the Pirate, Missi Pyle by Fran, Jamal Duff by Me'Shell Jones (as Jamal E. Duff), Gary Cole by Cotton McKnight, Jason Bateman by Pepper Brooks, Hank Azaria by Young Patches O'Houlihan as Al Kaplon by Tournament Referee
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