It would shock our many patients to know how many common habits are actually having a negative effect on their oral health. One such habit that could be having a disastrous effect on the health of your teeth is drinking alcohol. While drinking alcohol in moderation is unlikely to have any real negative effect on your teeth, drinking it excessively can leave your teeth in danger. In fact, alcohol can be to blame for widespread tooth decay, which can lead to missing teeth and a need for treatment with dental implants. Alcohol actually attacks your teeth in a variety of different ways, and, today, Dr. Andre Hughes is blogging from his Toronto, ON area office to talk to you about some of them.
Some alcoholic beverages, such as champagne and certain spritzers, are damaging your smile because they are carbonated. The reason carbonated alcohol is bad for you is because, in order to carbonate a beverage, carbonic acid is used. When you drink these beverages, this carbonation eats away at the enamel of your teeth, damaging it and eventually exposing your teeth to more dangerous oral conditions.
Alcoholic beverages that are high in sugar content should also be avoided. This is because when sugar sits on your teeth, it attracts bacteria, which uses this sugar to create acids that will eat away at the layers of your teeth. This results in a condition called tooth decay and, if left untreated, you may end up losing teeth due to the effects of the condition.
Mixed drinks can be dangerous because not only are your teeth receiving the negative effects of the alcohol, but also those of whatever is being mixed into the beverage. One of the most common beverages combined with alcohol is pop, which is a drink that is both carbonated and high in sugar content. If you combine pop with a high sugar alcohol, then your teeth are being damaged from two fronts.
Alcohol is actually a diuretic, which means you will experience an increased rate of urination. As a side effect, your mouth will actually dry out. Saliva is very important to the defense of our teeth, working hard to remove harmful bacteria from your mouth. By drying out your mouth, you are losing this layer of defense.
The last thing you’re probably going to want to do after a long night of drinking is to brush your teeth. However, it is very important that you do not give in to this urge. By failing to brush, all of the bacteria and sugar on your teeth from your night of drinking will remain undisturbed until you eventually brush your teeth.
If you do happen to lose a tooth because of your alcohol consumption, rest assured that we can restore your missing tooth using dental implants. Dental implants are a revolutionary tooth restoration treatment that can replace your missing teeth with restorations that work and feel just as good as your natural teeth. If you would like to learn more about alcohol’s effect on your teeth or how treatment with dental implants can help, contact our office and schedule a no-obligation consultation with Dr. Andre Hughes today.
Dr. Andre Hughes
745 Bloor St. West
Toronto, ON M6G 1L6
New Patients:
647-792-5805
Current Patients:
416-531-5796
Monday: 10AM – 7PM
Tuesday: 10AM – 7PM
Wednesday: 10AM – 7PM
Thursday: 10AM – 7PM
Friday: Closed
Saturday: 9AM – 3PM
Sunday: Closed