You’ve had a hard day at the office and you want to wind down for the night with a glass of red wine or a spirit. It is a tradition for many to drink small units of alcohol at night to feel relaxed. Consuming alcohol doesn’t exactly mean it demonstrates a bad lifestyle. Ultimately, this depends on the number of units and how well healthy your lifestyle is in other areas.
Now onto the bad news, consuming units of alcohol damages oral health. Even small units of alcohol can swing the bacterial tide to the bad side. Consuming alcohol can increase the chances of requiring extensive emergency treatment as well.
How Alcohol Damages Oral Health
Below reveals the relationship between alcohol and oral health and how alcohol damages oral health.
It Encourages Dry Mouth
Studies have shown that consuming alcohol damages oral health by decreasing the amount of saliva your mouth produces. Where saliva levels are low, you experience dry mouth. This will leave a thirst sensation and a feeling of dehydration. This is likely if the amount of alcoholic units you consume is high.
It Can Damage Your Enamel
Alcohol can contain moderate levels of acid, and acid is a culprit for enamel erosion. Enamel erosion means that your enamel is exposed to an acid attack, exposing the underlying dentin and causing pain and sensitivity where the layer of protective coating for your smile becomes exposed to bacteria.
It Leaves Dark Stains
The biggest effect alcohol can have on your teeth is it can stain teeth. The colour of alcoholic beverages contains chromogens. These chromogens attach to your tooth enamel compromised by acid and begin to leave stains on teeth. It is sometimes recommended that you consume fluids using a straw so the liquid doesn’t touch your teeth. But this shouldn’t act as an encouragement to continue consuming alcohol.
It Increases Chances Of Tooth Trauma
When consuming high volumes of alcohol, the chances of experiencing a physical accident become higher, and your teeth could be on the receiving end of it. When this happens, it increases the chances of tooth trauma, a sudden accident where the impact on your teeth is very severe. This would require extensive emergency treatment. Learn more about it here.
Prevent Or Reduce The Impact Of Alcohol
One of the questions most patients who consume alcohol will ask how to reduce the chances of the above aspects occurring. The dentist will request you to manage your water intake to increase hydration levels. Water helps to prevent the multitude of issues with alcohol for your oral health. Water stops dehydration, reduces dry mouth, and increase saliva levels in the mouth.
It is recommended that you either begin to reduce the units of alcohol you consume or quit alcohol altogether because alcohol damages oral health. This is especially if you’re conscious of your smile. Making a simple swap from the sugar content can make the difference that you’ve always wanted to your teeth and oral health in general.
Are you suffering from any of these signs because of alcohol? Let our experienced dentists help at Parkdale Family Dental and give you all of the advice you need. Click here to contact us today for a check-up appointment!