What Are the Effects of Alcohol on Your Teeth?
April 4, 2019
Many people consume alcohol moderately as part of a healthy lifestyle, which means one to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. Consuming too much alcohol has well-known risks for many individuals affecting various parts of the body, but what about the mouth? Drs. Hal and Adam Kimowitz and the staff at Denville Dentist want patients to understand that regular consumption of alcohol can also damage your smile.
Increased Risk of Gum Disease
If you consume alcohol, you are at a higher risk for developing dental issues such as gum disease and tooth decay. You are also at a higher risk of developing mouth sores. The good news is that your dentist should be able to help monitor any sign of gum disease to keep it from progressing. Exercising good oral hygiene habits should also help.
Duller Look
Alcohol can stain your teeth, especially if you mix it with dark-colored drinks such as soda. Damaged areas of a tooth are at a higher risk of clinging to the coloration in these drinks. You can brighten your smile with cosmetic dentistry such as teeth whitening and veneers. Dr. Kimowitz can help you explore your options to brighten stained teeth.
Mouth Dryness
Alcohol dries out the mouth, which can also put you at a higher risk of developing gum disease and other dental problems. You can combat this by consciously staying hydrated and drinking water when you choose to consume alcohol.
Risk of Other Damage
Adding acidic fruits such as lemon to a drink or chewing on the ice in an alcoholic beverage can put your teeth at additional risk of damage, such as cracking and chipping. Avoid chewing on ice and leave the lemon out.
Fix Your Smile With a Checkup
As with other types of drinks, alcoholic beverages do have the potential to damage your teeth. Fix your smile with a regular checkup with Dr. Hal Kimowitz or Dr. Adam Kimowitz . Contact our office today to schedule your next appointment.