Though alcohol is a common beverage, many health professionals suggest avoiding it, especially in excess because alcohol can impair judgement, ruin your liver, and cause harm to your oral health. Here are a few of the ingredients found in alcohol which attack your teeth and gums.
High Sugar Content
Your mouth contains plaque bacteria which use the sugars from foods to create acids that attack tooth enamel. Because alcohol has such a high sugar content, plaque produces more acids and increases your risk for tooth decay.
Alcohol also contains the acids which not only cause tooth decay, but can erode your teeth as well. This erosion makes teeth feel sensitive, dulls their color, and even alters their shape.
Many alcoholic beverages contain pigments which can stain them. The acids in alcohol also create indents which can collect these pigments, and their wear of tooth enamel can reveal more of the yellow dentin tissue underneath.
Alcohol contains chemicals that dry out the mouth, which increases your risk for tooth decay because there is less saliva to neutralize harmful acids. Additionally, chemicals irritate the mouth’s mucus lining, which increases one’s risk for developing oral cancer.