Alcohol and Teeth Don’t Mix Well

Hello, dear reader, and welcome back to our blog! Because we are a dentist office operating in the Waconia area, we here at Kruckman Family Dentistry want to make sure that all of our neighbors are as well informed as possible when it comes to issues that may affect their oral health. Overall, people tend to make sure that they take care of their teeth. Between brushing and flossing, 90 percent of the care that needs to be completed for the average person’s mouth is taken care of on a day to day basis. However, external factors, such as the food and beverages that people choose to consume, can have a large effect on the overall health of their mouth. In today’s post, we are going to continue where we left off last time and continue to cover some of the negative side effects that are caused by alcohol use. Continue reading below to learn more.

Alcohol Consumption Can Cause Multiple Oral Health Issues

It is no secret that people enjoy alcohol. For as long as civilization has existed, it seems that alcohol has been a part of the lives of humans. Whether you enjoy your alcohol in the form of liquor, beer, or wine is largely unimportant; the important issue is the fact that alcohol can and will mess with your mouth if you are not careful. Alcohol is high in both sugar content and acidity, two things that spell trouble for your mouth when combined. In our previous post, we discussed the issues alcohol causes in relation to tooth decay and gum disease. While these issues are concerning, they are not the only issues that can be caused. Below, we have listed a few more negative effects that alcohol can have on your teeth.

• Staining: Across America, millions of dollars are spent each year by people looking to improve the color of their teeth. Many beverages, including coffee, tea, and soda can work to stain a person’s teeth; however, many people don’t realize that alcohol can be just as guilty, if not more so, than the substances we have just listed. Those people who enjoy red wine, dark liquors, or dark beer could be doing more damage to their teeth than they realize. All of these alcoholic beverages work to stain your teeth; however, the effects of dark liquor could be the worst out of all of them. When people drink dark liquors, such as whiskey, scotch, or brandy, they tend to mix the liquor with some form of soda. Overwhelmingly, these sodas also tend be to dark in color. Mixing these substances together, with the added negative effects of soda, is a surefire way to stain your teeth if you do not take appropriate action to combat the effects. If you are the type of person who enjoys alcoholic beverages of a darker color, we suggest that you limit your intake of these beverages or brush your teeth as soon as you can after drinking them.

• Dryness: While we touched a bit on the risk of dryness related to alcohol use and gum disease in our previous post, having a dry mouth can cause more issues than gum disease. One of the first things that people who suffer from dry mouth tend to notice is that their breath is much worse than normal. While it is expected to have bad breath at some point during the day, it is not normal for that bad breath to be a constant thing. Halitosis, or chronic bad breath, is a medical condition that indicates the health of your mouth is less than optimal. Ideally, your mouth produces enough saliva to combat the bacteria in your mouth. If you suffer from a dry mouth due to alcohol consumption, your natural salivatory action is reduced, meaning that your body is unable to naturally wash away bacteria as it normally would. While annoying, bad breath can be an indication that you are at risk of developing gum disease, something that should be avoided at all costs. The only way to treat dry mouth from alcohol is to reduce the amount of alcohol that you consume.

Thank you for taking the time to read our short blog series on the effects of alcohol in relation to your oral health. As with all things in life, moderation is key when it comes to enjoying alcohol. Having a few drink every once in awhile is not likely to result in the side effects that we have listed but, it is important to be aware of the dangers that alcohol poses. If you would like to make sure that your mouth is as healthy as possible, please contact us today at Kruckman Family Dentistry. We are a full service family dentist and we are certain that we can meet any needs that you may have in relation to dental care. Contact us today to learn more!