Illume wishes to warn clients and members of the wider community about the hidden dangers of “posh popcorn” to teeth – especially as the snack continues to grow in popularity.

Many people see the gourmet popcorn as a healthy alternative to sweets and crisps but a recent study has found that the number of dental problems arising from eating the snack has doubled over the past three years.

Tim Rumney, practice owner and clinical director at Illume, says: “We are used to boiled sweets, fudge and caramel accounting for some chipped and damaged teeth and popcorn now joins this list.

“I welcome the fact fewer people are eating sweets because they contain sugar which causes long-term damage to teeth in the form of decay which can then lead to cavities.

“The fact more people are switching to healthier snacks is shown by the explosion of so-called ‘posh popcorn’ with sales doubling over the past five years to £104million this year while sales of crisps are continuing to fall.

“While people are to be praised for switching to snacks lower in sugar, many may not be aware that firstly, some varieties of popcorn are very high in sugar and secondly, eating this type of popcorn risks them getting broken or cracked teeth because of rogue kernels sometimes found in the bottom of packets. 

“The absent-minded way in which we chew popcorn while watching a film may also cause problems as teeth can slip and bang together, causing fissures and fractures, so my advice is to enjoy the snack but take care when eating so you don’t end up needing emergency treatment,” he added.

If you do need to see us, then, as ever please ring 01242 522230 or email.