For decades boiled sweets were number one on the list of foods dentists demonized as damaging to our teeth.

But for the first time they have been supplanted by a Trojan horse masquerading as a healthy alternative to sweets and crisps.

The number of popcorn-related problems hitting dental surgeries has doubled over the past three years, from around five percent of cases to one in ten.

An explosion of "posh popcorn" has lead to the number of tooth injuries directly caused by the snack eclipsing those of other serial offenders like hard-boiled sweets and fudge or caramel, they told the Sunday Telegraph.

It comes as a growing number of Brits are swapping "fatty" crisps for upmarket popcorn, which is perceived as a more virtuous option, causing supermarket sales to double over the past five years to £104 million this year. Meanwhile crisp sales are on a steady decline.

By munching on popcorn consumers are risking broken and cracked teeth thanks to rogue kernels lurking at the bottom of packs.

In addition small pieces commonly get trapped between teeth, which are near impossible to dislodge by simply brushing or flossing.