Cigarettes And Alcohol – A Deadly Dental Duo

Unfortunately, sugar isn’t the only thing that can harm your teeth!

Ask most patients what the most damaging thing is for their teeth and gums and most will tell you that it is sugar. This is good news in that the message about sugar causing tooth decay seems to have fully sunk in. There is a danger however, that a lot of people think that their oral health will be fine as long as they are careful about their consumption of it.

While sugar is undoubtedly responsible for much tooth decay, often accompanied by poor oral care, it is not the only thing that can be damaging and, in today’s blog, we are going to take a look at two that you need to be particularly careful about.

Cigarettes

In many ways, smoking can be far more harmful than sugar for your overall oral health. Although smoking, whether cigarettes, cigars or even a pipe, won’t directly cause tooth decay, it can lead to a lot of other problems, many of them potentially much more serious than the formation of cavities.

One of the most common of these is gum disease. This can be an ongoing battle, even with the healthiest of lifestyles. Our mouths produce a lot of bacteria every day, some of which can be harmful to both teeth and gums. If we don’t maintain a good oral health regime and have our teeth cleaned by the dentist at Acton Vale Dental Centre twice a year, there is a real risk that relatively low level gum disease (gingivitis) could develop into periodontitis, an advanced form of gum disease that can cause teeth to become loose and wobbly and may even fall out.

Smoking can significantly increase the chances of this happening as not only can the smoke irritate the gums but the nicotine also causes the tiny blood vessels in the gums to narrow. This in turn reduces oxygen flow to the gums and any infections may take much longer to heal. In addition to this, if you smoke, you will often find that you have a dry mouth in the morning. Not only can this be unpleasant when you wake up, but the warm and dry oral cavity provides the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and this means that there are likely to be many more of the ‘bad’ bacteria than usual.

Although this is one of the most common problems caused by smoking, it is not the only one. A more serious issue is that smoking is a major contributor to oral cancers. These can cause facial disfigurement and even death. On average, in recent years, around a thousand people have died each year from this form of cancer in the UK.

Whilst cancer treatments have improved over the years, there is little point in taking the chance. Stopping smoking is a great way to improve both your general and oral health while saving yourself a not insignificant sum of money into the bargain.

Alcohol

If you drink a lot of alcohol or drink on a regular basis, the consequences for your oral health could be similar to smoking. Excessive or regular alcohol consumption can lead to gum disease and oral cancers in a similar manner to smoking.

Most of our Acton dental patients probably drink alcoholic drinks more moderately, but even here there are risks, although much less so than drinking heavily. As many of you may well know, a night drinking alcohol can often result in dehydration and a dry mouth in the morning. As mentioned earlier, this is likely to increase the chance of gum disease due to an increase in bacteria production. In fact, if you have ever experienced a morning mouth that is sticky with a white ‘gunk’, that is actually a collection of bacteria. As you can see, a dry mouth, whether caused by smoking or drinking can have very unpleasant effects.

It is also worth noting that some drinks, such as wines, can be quite acidic. Drinking these too often could result in enamel damage and may leave them more vulnerable to decay or tooth sensitivity.

Finally, there is always the heightened risk of accidents if we have had too much to drink. A fall, or collision could result in broken or knocked out teeth so it is better to drink in moderation and to also drink plenty of water to stay well hydrated.

Whether you drink, smoke or partake in neither, you should make sure to see your dentist and dental hygienist every six months to help your mouth stay in good health. If you would like to contact us to make an appointment, you can do so by calling the Acton Vale Dental Centre on 020 8749 3267.