What are the tooth consequences of drinking alcohol

Over time, alcohol and drugs will make a wreck of your teeth.

Over time, alcohol and drugs will make a wreck of your teeth. Even moderate consumption is not considered healthy, not for your health and not for the health of your teeth. Alcohol consumption can generate short-term and long-term effects on your health, to the liver, the brain, and the way your body assimilates the sugars. In this article, you will find out what alcohol does to your gums tissue, teeth, and oral health.

Alcohol is not good for the teeth

People who abuse alcohol consumption have higher levels of plaque than other people. In general, an individual who drinks more than eight drinks each week has three times more plaque than individuals who drink less or not at all. This means that if your drink frequently you have higher chances of suffering from permanent tooth loss. Alcohol consumption promotes plaque development.

Plaque is the sticky white film you find on your teeth in the morning before you brush your teeth. What you see there are compressed bacteria. The bacteria feed on the sugars you consume generating acids and more bacteria. The plaque bacteria like to live in an acidic environment that is not healthy for your teeth. In fact, the teeth start to lose minerals and erode when left in acidic conditions. You can try to do an experiment. If you still have a baby tooth since you were little, you can put it in a glass filled with soda. You will see that in a few days (the most) the tooth will dissolve. If you don’t have a baby tooth, you can always try this experiment with an egg.

Because of the plaque, the gum tissue will start to recede, leaving the vulnerable part of your teeth, the roots, susceptible to the acids in your mouth.

Staining

In addition to gum disease, consuming alcohol can stain your teeth. The color of most drinks comes from chromogens. These chromogens attach to the exterior of your teeth (on the enamel) once this is compromised from the acids in the alcohol.  That is why dentists recommend consuming alcoholic drinks using a straw.

Another problem is the mixed drinks. More and more people tend to drink mixed liquors with red wine or dark sodas. This is the ideal road to losing the whiteness of your smile. Alcohol contains acid and red wine and the dark sodas contain sugars and coloring ingredients.

Dryness

Drinking alcohol will dry your mouth. Saliva is crucial for the health of your teeth. Aside from the role of keeping your mouth moist and helping you speak, saliva keeps the plaque under control, lowers the acidity level in your mouth, and helps rebuild the enamel.

Visit your dentist

It is important to visit your dentist twice every year, even if you do not suffer from alcohol dependency. The dentist will help soften the effects alcohol has on your teeth and resolve any newly appeared problems, such as cavities. And if you fear the dentist, you can tell them before the appointment so they will consult you more carefully.  Brush your teeth constantly, and always wait at least 30 minutes after you drank something before doing it.