Everything that you eat or drink will have an impact on your teeth, especially the foods and beverages that you consume most often. Highly acidic and sugary drinks, and dark-coloured beverages that are prone to causing stains can all diminish the health, integrity, and overall aesthetics of your smile. This is especially true if you drink more than just the occasional cocktail. If you like to imbibe, it's important to know how regular alcohol consumption will affect your smile.

Too Much Alcohol Can Increase Your Likelihood of Gum Disease
Your gums and all other soft tissues in your mouth aren't likely to suffer too much damage as the result of a few drinks here and there. Heavy drinking, however, can open the door to a host of periodontal issues. This is because certain alcoholic beverages and large quantities of alcohol can upset the natural microbiome in the mouth. Once this happens, cavity- and disease-causing bacteria can proliferate, while bacteria that actively works to protect the mouth will flounder and die off. This change in the mouth's microbiome and natural pH balance often leaves people with raw, red, and irritated gums, and problems like bleeding when brushing or flushing. These are all signs of gingivitis and potentially advanced periodontal disease. Visiting us at the Upper Hunt Club Dental Centre in Ottawa as soon as gum pain presents is always the best bet. Catching and treating gum disease early-on can be key for preventing extreme tooth sensitivity, receding gums, loose teeth, and even widespread tooth loss.

Increased Tooth Decay
In addition to increasing the likelihood of gum disease, heavy alcohol use also sets the stage for dental decay. Drinking alcohol dehydrates the entire body, but it can be especially drying to the mouth. With less saliva, the mouth isn't able to clean itself effectively. In a healthy, hydrated mouth, saliva helps wash away harmful, cavity-causing bacteria, trapped debris, and even modest amounts of plaque. It also helps establish a decent balance of good and bad bacteria. Conversely, in a dry mouth, plaque builds up more easily, harmful bacteria proliferate, and acidic conditions at the mouth interior start eroding the protective tooth enamel. If you like mixing your alcohol with fruit juice and soda, all of these problems can be accelerated due to increased acid and sugar in the mouth.

Which Alcoholic Beverages Are the Worst for Your Teeth?
Moderate amounts of alcohol consumption paired with good oral hygiene shouldn't be a problem. However, routinely consuming high-sugar and high-acid beverages such as hard liquor mixed with fruit juices or hard liquor mixed with soda is virtually guaranteed to cause enamel erosion, painful and swollen gums, and increased tooth decay. The combination of dry mouth and high-acid, high-sugar conditions that these drinks cause make them especially detrimental.

One way to limit the risks of consuming these beverages is to drink plenty of water both before and after you consume them. Flushing excess sugars and acids out of the mouth will restore overall balance. It will additionally prevent dry mouth and ensure that erosive sugars aren't resting on the teeth.

Tooth Stains
To minimize the impact that drinking has on your oral health, it's also a good idea to pay attention to the colour of the beverages you're consuming. Red wine and other dark-coloured beverages can lead to noticeable and potentially permanent tooth stains, particularly if you drink them often. Worse still, if you suffer from other alcohol-related oral health issues such as receding gums or eroding enamel, these drinks can cause lasting stains on any of the sensitive dentin at the top of tooth structures that's been exposed. If you drink dark wines or sugary cocktails regularly, scheduling routine visits at the Upper Hunt Club Dental Centre in Ottawa is a great way to catch and correct minor problems early-on, and well before they've had the opportunity to spiral out of control.

Caring for Your Teeth After a Night Out on the Town
You can certainly enjoy a night out on the town and a few cocktails without worrying about the total destruction of your smile. However, small steps that you take to undo the ravages of alcohol can make a major difference in your oral health, especially if you go out drinking often. For instance, be sure to follow a night of drinking with diligent oral care. Brush, floss, and rinse as you normally would, and then drink plenty of water to ensure good hydration. This way, you won't suffer from dry mouth while you sleep.

When choosing your cocktails, opt for low-sugar options when possible, and light-coloured liquors that are unlikely to cause serious tooth stains. Sugary syrups such as grenadine and ultra-sweet liqueurs should be avoided whenever possible. It's also important to remember that although moderate drinking shouldn't prove problematic, heavy drinking can have serious and long-term effects on your oral health. In addition to causing deeply set tooth stains, heavy drinking can undermine your gum health and set the stage for widespread tooth decay.

At the Upper Hunt Club Dental Centre in Ottawa, we're committed to helping all of our patients learn the right habits for creating and maintaining excellent oral health. By scheduling routine visits at our practice, you can keep your teeth and gums looking and feeling their best. If you're concerned about the toll that alcohol consumption has taken on your smile, contact us today to schedule an appointment.