We’ve spoken previously on this blog about how soda is secretly destroying your smile. However, soda isn’t the only popular beverage that is attacking the health of your teeth. In fact, alcohol may be even more dangerous for your teeth, as it attacks them in many different ways. The consumption of alcohol can actually lead to widespread tooth decay, as well as other dangerous oral conditions that can require treatment with dental implants. Today, Dr. Craig S. Donn is blogging from Cherry Hill and Camden County, NJ to talk about some of the ways that alcohol works to compromise our teeth. With this information, we believe our patients will see why it is so important to practice moderation when it comes to alcohol.
How Alcohol Damages Our Teeth
Alcohol attacks our teeth in many different ways. Some of these ways include:
The Carbonation
The reason why we advise our patients against drinking carbonated alcohol, such as champagne or certain spritzers, is because in order to accomplish that carbonation, carbonic acid is used. This acid proceeds to eat away at the enamel of our teeth, opening them up to various oral conditions.
Sugar Content
Some alcoholic beverages are actually full of sugar. What makes sugar so bad for our smile is the fact that it gets stuck to our teeth and attracts bacteria. Using this sugar, bacteria creates acids that eat away at our teeth. This process is called tooth decay, and it can result in missing teeth, which must be treated with dental implants.
Mixing Alcohol with Soda
One of the most common things that alcohol is mixed with is actually soda. Soda is both carbonated and high in sugar, which causes it to attack our teeth from two different fronts. When mixed with alcohol, it also gains all of the negative effects that come with it.
Dry Mouth
Because alcohol is a diuretic, it increases the rate at which we urinate. As a result, it can result in dry mouth. What many people don’t realize about saliva is it actually works to keep bacteria off of our teeth. When our mouth is dry, we lose the valuable defense that saliva provides.
Forgetting to Brush
After a long night of drinking, the last thing you probably want to do is take the time to brush your teeth. However, it is very important that you don’t let this happen as forgetting to brush leaves all of the sugar and acid you have built up over the night on your teeth, were it will continue to damage them until your next brushing.
Schedule a Dental Implant Consultation in Cherry Hill and Camden County
If you do happen to lose a tooth because of too much alcohol consumption, or for any other reason, it may be possible to restore that tooth with a dental implant. Dental implants are artificial tooth roots made from titanium that are fused to your jawbone thanks to a process called osseointegration. If you would like to learn more about how dental implants may benefit you, we encourage you to contact us and schedule a no-obligation consultation with dental implant provider, Dr. Craig S. Donn, today.