Social habits and lifestyle choices can directly damage your teeth and oral health.
In this column, I address how alcohol consumption, smoking, unhealthy diets and stress levels affect your oral health.
Alcohol consumption: According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), moderate alcohol consumption is considered one drink per day for women and no more than two drinks a day for men.
Alcohol dehydrates the body by inhibiting the production of a chemical, anti-diuretic hormone which regulates the amount of urine you release. Drinking alcohol actually causes your kidneys to get rid of more water than it would normally, causing dehydration throughout your body. Also, it affects the salivary glands, thus decreasing the flow of saliva causing dry mouth.
Dry mouth creates an environment for gum disease. Gum disease has also been linked to higher incidences of cancer, diabetes, stroke and heart disease. Alcohol drinkers suffer from more bleeding than non-drinkers, more plaque build-up and deeper pockets. Dehydration decreases the saliva flow in your mouth, therefore keeping the bacteria attached to the teeth.
If you’d like to enjoy an alcoholic drink, we recommend minimizing the dehydration effect by sipping water in between to replenish the saliva in your mouth. The other reason why alcohol so often leads to decay is that alcohol breaks down into sugar which attracts bacteria. One way to counteract this process is to floss, brush and use mouthwash after you drink alcohol or any sugary beverage.
Role of smoking: Tooth discoloration is just one of several problems associated with smoking. Smokers are three to six times more likely to develop gum disease than non-smokers. The most common oral problems affecting people who smoke are gum disease, mouth cancer, tooth decay, tooth loss, poor healing and bad breath. In periodontal disease, the tell-tale sign is bleeding upon probing. Smokers do not usually bleed when probed because smoking dampens the natural immune response. This lack of bleeding gives a false sense of security. If you examine a little closer, the pocket depths or bone loss is usually far worse because of smoking.
Role of stress: Stress is a common cause of health problems and your oral health is no exception. Stress may contribute to teeth grinding, gum disease, canker sores and dry mouth. Also, it impacts your oral health routine and diet, thus increasing your risk of tooth decay.
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