Alcohol & Your Dental Health

It’s common knowledge that alcohol abuse is detrimental to your overall health, but what you may not know is about the damage alcohol can do to your dental health as well. In fact, even an occasional alcoholic beverage can have a negative effect on your teeth and mouth.

How Alcohol Can Damage Your Oral Health

• Staining – Red wines and ports have the ability to stain the teeth, causing them to take on a yellow, dull appearance.
• Acid Content – Most alcoholic beverages are very acidic. Any kind of food or drink high in acid can damage the tooth enamel, causing it to soften and become weak. Once the enamel is weakened, you’ll become more susceptible to dental cavities and tooth decay.
• Sugar – Sticky liquors, pina coladas, and other sweet alcoholic drinks are full of sugar. When the bacteria living in your mouth begin to feed on this sugar, harmful acids are created. As stated above, these acids can wreak havoc on your tooth enamel.
• Cancer – Lastly but most importantly, alcohol abuse has been shown to cause mouth cancer. In fact, according to Cancer Research UK, 80% of people with mouth cancer report that they frequently drink alcohol. When the alcohol is combined with tobacco smoke, this risk is increased 30 times.

Here at Auburn Family Dental, it’s important to us that you drink responsibly. Part of drinking responsibly is knowing about the negative effects of alcohol. For more information or to make an appointment at our Wichita, KS dental office, please contact Auburn Family Dental.