wine

When you’re sipping on a glass of red wine while relaxing in front of the TV after work, you’re probably not thinking about the way the alcohol is affecting your mouth. If you drink too much alcohol on a regular basis, you may be severely damaging your mouth.
Let’s take a look at six of the most common ways alcohol affects your teeth and mouth so you can make sure you aren’t causing any permanent damage with your drink of choice.

1. Tooth Decay

You may want to lay off of the margaritas, piña coladas and sweet cocktails after reading this. Many delicious alcoholic drinks are packed with sugar. And we’re not the only ones enjoying it. Bacteria love sugar just as much as we do, feeding off of it and producing acid as they munch. Combine these acid-releasing bacteria with acidic alcoholic beverages and your teeth are on a path to decaying.
Solution: While you’re out for the evening, try to avoid sugary cocktails. Choose beer, wine or a coconut water and vodka cocktail instead. If you can’t end the night without your favorite sweet cocktail, use a straw so that the sugars skip past the majority of your teeth. Finally, always make sure to brush your teeth at least 30 minutes after you’ve consumed alcohol. Any sooner and you may further erode your enamel by brushing it.

2. Oral Cancer

Alcohol isn’t all fun and games. According to the Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF), alcohol abuse is the second largest risk factor for developing oral cancer. Alcohol can cause your gums, cheeks and skin to corrode, leading to mouth and throat cancer. When combined with smoking, a heavy drinker has an especially high risk of developing the disease. The OCF notes that alcohol dehydrates the cell walls, which allows tobacco carcinogens to spread throughout your mouth more easily. Heavy drinking can also lead to nutritional deficiencies that lower your body’s ability to fight off cancer.
Solution: As long as you aren’t a heavy drinker, you shouldn’t run into this problem. Try to keep your drinking to moderate levels, which is defined as one drink a day if you’re a woman, and two drinks a day if you’re a man, according to National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

3. Enamel Erosion

Every time you drink alcohol, you’re usually exposing your teeth to highly acidic liquid. This causes enamel, the protective calcium coating on your skin, to erode. When your enamel wears away enough, you’ll notice your teeth are more sensitive and you’re more susceptible to cavities. Worst of all, enamel can’t naturally grow back. Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.
Solution: Try to avoid carbonated alcoholic drinks, as they are usually more acidic. Drinking water in between alcohol will also help to wash away the acids in your mouth.

4. Dry Mouth

Instead of keeping your mouth wet, alcohol actually dries it out. You know how you have to take all those extra trips to the bathroom while you’re drinking? It’s because alcohol is a diuretic. In other words, it dehydrates you by making you urinate more than usual. Less liquid in your body means less saliva in your mouth. Since saliva fights off bacteria, your risk of gum disease and tooth decay increases while you’re drinking. You’ll also probably have pretty bad breath.
Solution: Try to drink at least one glass of water in between your alcoholic drinks. Mints and sugar-free gum can also help to increase your saliva production.

5. Gum Disease

A couple of the ways that alcohol can increase your risk of developing gum disease have already been mentioned: bacteria feeding off of sugary drinks, nutritional deficiencies and lack of saliva. Additionally, alcohol has been found to irritate gum tissue and alcohol abusers tend to have poor dental hygiene habits, according to the Drug & Alcohol Rehab Asia. All of this leads to a much higher risk of developing gum disease conditions, which can range from swollen gums to dangerous infections.
Solution: Avoid heavy drinking. If you do drink, make sure to brush practice good oral hygiene at least 30 minutes after drinking by brushing your teeth at least twice a day and correctly flossing.

We've been raised to believe that the only foods bad for your teeth are the ones that contain sugar: candy, chocolate, ice cream, etc. However, there are plenty of foods that you wouldn't expect to be bad for your teeth, many that we might snack on everyday. Take a look at our list of worst foods for your teeth too what you might be eating a little too much of.

1. Soda

It's no surprise that soda is incredibly bad for your teeth. The high amounts of sugars in carbonated sodas are outstandingly high. Sugars are great food for bacteria. Unfortunately, sodas also contain a high amount of acids that can also wear away at tooth enamel. So, while you may think diet sodas are less harmful to your teeth, in reality they're just as bad. If you must drink soda, it's recommended to drink while eating a meal rather than sipping throughout the day. Food helps clear the sugars and acids out of the mouth.

2. Pickles

Here's one of those unexpected foods: Pickles are soaked in acidic vinegar; it's what gives a pickle its flavor. Unfortunately, vinegar is just as harmful to your tooth enamel as any other kind of acid. Eating pickles on a regular basis can greatly increase the risk of worn tooth enamel. It's best to keep pickles as an occasional snack rather than a daily treat.

3. Chewy Candy

Another obvious food to avoid is chewy candies. These sticky gobs of sugar are a great meal for the bacteria in your mouth. That's because the sugars can easily stick between the teeth and gums. If you need something sweet, we suggest a piece of fruit.

4. Dried Fruit

And by fruit, we mean FRESH fruit. Dried fruits are just as bad for your teeth as candy. Why? Because they're very sticky, just like chewy candy, and are high in sugar. So when those pieces of dried fruit get stuck between the teeth, it helps bacteria grow. Again, keep to fruit fresh.

5. Red Wine

While you may think red wine is bad for your teeth because it can stain them (they can, it's from a compound called tannins). Red wine also contains an erosive acid, which wears away at tooth enamel. If you need a drink, you may want to consider a glass of pinot grigio of noir.

6. Saltine Crackers

One of the worst foods you can eat might surprise you. Saltine crackers are filled with processed simple starches (a different kind of sugar), which provide a field day of food for the bacteria in your mouth. Ever notice how crackers will start to stick to your teeth if you eat too many? That's just another bad sign that these sugars won't be leaving your mouth any time soon. Replace those saltines with grain-based crackers. They will keep your teeth healthy and curb bacteria from growing.

7. Sports and Energy Drinks

Believe it or not, sports drinks can actually be worse for you then sodas. Though they may not have the carbonation that sodas have, sports drinks and energy drinks contain a high amount of acid, which will wear away at the enamel on your teeth. Be cautious of replacing soda for a sports drink. Instead opt for water or milk, both great for your teeth.
If you'd like to replace a few of these items on our list for some healthier options, check our blog post of some of the best foods for your teeth and make the old switcheroo.
If you have any more questions, don't be afraid to contact Water Tower Dental Care, we'd be happy to talk.