Hours spent playing computer games could be as harmful for children’s teeth as for their overall health and fitness.

According to a new research, munching while playing computer and video games could be responsible for poor levels of oral health amid youngsters.

The study recommends that gamers who spend considerable amounts of time at the screen are more than twice as likely to suffer from tooth decay and caries compared to those with more lively routines.

Teenagers are more likely to snack on sugary foods while absorbed in computer games.

Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, Dr. Nigel Carter, said that the study adds to the budding research into the routines of decay and caries victims and underlines the significance of a stable diet for good oral health.

He said, “This study helps our understanding of the dietary habits and subsequent decay risk of gamers when the effects have previously been unknown”.

The acid in sugary foods and drinks corrodes the enamel, revealing the dentine below, which can make the teeth sensitive and ugly.

Dr. Carter added that it is good for your teeth and overall health if you take three meals a day rather than having 7 to 10 snack bites.

However, if you do want to snack between meals then go for foods, which do not have sugar, he concluded.