Dental caries is a diet-related disease that continues to be a problem for certain dental patients. Frequent consumption of fermentable carbohydrates that have low oral clearance rates increases the risk for caries. This report emphasises on the significance of diet counseling in prevention of dental caries.

A 21-year-old female patient reported to the clinic with a chief complaint of brownish discoloration on the posterior region. On eliciting detailed case history it was found that patient had adequate oral hygiene practices, however, the patient had a habit of snacking and not rinsing her teeth immediately afterward. Detailed dietary analysis revealed on patients habit of ‘in-between’ consumption of sugary foods. Hence the intervention was aimed at reduction of in-between consumption and replacement with alternate diet. Multiple oral health education sessions, positive reinforcement and allowing the patient to decide the alternate by explaining her food pyramid followed by convincing the patient to change her pattern of diet were the measures taken. All these measures resulted in changing the eating habit of the patient.

Hence it is important to understand the risk of patient to develop dental caries and to plan tailor made interventions for a caries preventive regimen.