Tuesday, October 9, 2018

The Negative Effects of Drinking: What Does Alcohol Do to Your Teeth?

If you’re a heavy drinker, or you used to drink in the past, you probably already encountered quite a few problems with your teeth. In many cases, drinking can greatly affect your teeth and make it difficult to even eat properly, despite the fact that your dental hygiene might be pretty good.

 

When we look at the statistics, we see that heavy drinkers are often in serious need of medical care. They tend to have a lot of cavities, and they are also at risk of disorders such as gum disease as well as permanent tooth loss. But is the same true of moderate and light drinkers?

 

While the statistics don’t say much about moderate drinkers, we can ask a dentist Centennial area about the actual effect of alcohol on teeth and make up our own minds.

 

First, since alcohol causes dryness, the saliva that would normally cause your teeth to be moist and help remove plaque will no longer be there as often. So plaque can be a direct consequence of alcohol consumption. Moreover, alcohol can cause severe staining due to the presence of chromogens, which attach themselves to areas of the teeth where the enamel was damaged by the acid in alcohol.

 

Alcohol consumption can also lead to greater and faster tooth damage if you add ice or citrus to your drinks. On the other hand, studies have shown that red wine is a curious exception, since it can actually kill the harmful oral bacteria known as streptococci.

The post The Negative Effects of Drinking: What Does Alcohol Do to Your Teeth? appeared first on Willow Creek Way.

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