Alcohol consumption has been on the rise in recent times, does alcohol affect your teeth, the affects of too much alcohol on teeth over a prolonged period of time are quite serious.
Let’s be honest, taking a few drinks at the weekend following a hard weeks work isn’t going to harm your teeth, however the bad news is that drinking alcohol regularly is harmful for your teeth.
Studies on alcohol abuse and teeth
According to one particular study on alcohol abuse, by drinking more than the average amount of alcohol can lead to associated health issues that include not only tooth decay, tooth erosion, gum disease, dry mouth, but also oral cancer.
In addition, heavy consumption of alcohol is closely associated with other health issues.
They include the health of your brain, liver and blood sugar levels not to mention how teeth are affected by the overuse of alcohol.
Perfect Smile Dental Clinic
At Perfect Smile Dental Clinic Hungary we find that some of our patients actually aren’t aware that alcohol affects teeth in so many ways, in fact some even ask “is alcohol bad for teeth”.
Too much alcohol and oral health are inextricably linked, by itself alcohol will not impact teeth directly, however if abused it can have a significant impact on teeth and gums overall.
If you find that your teeth have been affected by alcohol use, contact us at Hungarian Dentists Wexford, we can advise you on the best course of treatment, call Fintan on 0873490104.
How is your mouth affected by alcohol
People want to know how is the mouth affected by alcohol, the most immediate link to alcohol is a condition called xerostomia, better known as dry mouth.
If you suffer from dry mouth, gum disease, or tooth decay and you need something done with your teeth, contact Fintan on 0873490104 for a free advice/consultation with our Hungarian dentists in Wexford.
How does dry mouth come about
Dry mouth comes about because as a diuretic, alcohol makes your body produce more urine, more urine can cause dehydration, dehydration means less saliva, less saliva causes a dry mouth.
Think back to the last time you went for a few drinks, did your mouth feel a little bit dryer the following morning.?
Furthermore, excess alcohol can cause irritation the tissues in your throat and mouth, as a result they become inflamed, the knock on effect is less saliva is produced.
Less saliva flowing in the mouth causes a range of symptoms that include sore throat, difficulties in swallowing, a sticky or dry feeling in the mouth.
Excess alcohol and tooth decay
Excess alcohol and tooth decay are caused by a number of factors, for example:
A. When there is a decrease in saliva flow bacteria that attaches to your tooth enamel isn’t washed off so easily, the process is a strong reason why alcohol consumption can affect your teeth by causing tooth decay.
B. Tooth cavities can be affected by too much alcohol because it metabolizes into sugar, sugar attracts bacteria, bacteria causes tooth cavities in the protective tooth enamel.
Sugary mixers, alcopops, beer, cider, wine, all contain acids that over time will dissolve the protective enamel causing teeth sensitivity or pain.
People with a dependence on alcohol are three times more likely to suffer from tooth decay or tooth loss, alcohol causes plaque build-up on and around teeth.
Gum disease and alcohol
When patients ask does alcohol affect your teeth, one issue that needs to be drawn to your attention is the fact that the immune system is affected by heavy alcohol consumption.
When your immune system is compromised or weakened, your body finds it harder to shake off infections, especially infections in the mouth such as periodontitis otherwise known as gum disease.
At Perfect Smile Dental Clinic in Hungary we find that periodontitis or gum disease is one such frequent long-term effect in over indulgence of alcohol, periodontitis is characterized by gum recession, infection, plaque and bleeding gums.
Gum disease is quite serious, it has links to heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes.
Study on alcohol use and teeth
During 2015 a study on alcohol use and its negative effects was published in the Journal of Periodontology, the number of people assessed totalled 542, a combination of non-drinkers, occasional drinkers and regular drinkers.
Some has periondontal (gum disease) some had no gum disease, some of the findings point to a number of answers to your question does alcohol affect your teeth.
A. People that regularly drank alcohol complained more about bleeding gums than those that were non-drinkers.
B. Regular alcohol users that had pre-existing gum disease noticed a bigger increase in gum disease when consuming alcohol regularly.
C. Social drinkers that didn’t have gum disease reported small pockets between their gums and teeth, measuring 4 millimetres or more more often than people who were non-drinkers.
In conclusion, the study although not a large study does point to the fact that in cases where gum disease isn’t present, alcohol consumption does have a negative effect on your gums in many ways.
References
https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/news-and-events/media-centre/press-releases/alcohol-and-teeth
https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/news-and-events/media-centre/press-releases/alcohol-and-teeth
