At Dakota Dental, we love answering your questions about dental health and dispelling the mouth myths out there. The more you know, the more you can watch out for. Let’s tackle one question we see come up frequently, especially during this time of year:
Since alcohol is in germ-killing mouthwashes, is drinking an alcoholic beverage good for your oral health?
The short answer is no, drinking alcohol isn’t good for your oral health.
We’re sure you’d love us to advise a hot buttered rum along with your daily brushing and flossing routine. However, that’s not the case. Your Apple Valley dentists have concluded that it is indeed a mouth myth that drinking an alcoholic beverage has any beneficial value to your oral health. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
Does Alcohol Kill Bacteria in the Mouth?
It is a tooth-truth that most anti-plaque rinses and antimicrobial mouthwashes, such as Listerine, contain alcohol which does kill bacteria in the mouth. And yes, it is also a tooth-truth that fewer bacteria means less plaque on your teeth. However, the alcohol used in mouthwashes is different from the alcohol you drink. Most rinses and mouthwashes use ethyl alcohol (the same type of alcohol we drink). However, they undergo a process that makes the alcohol denatured. This means it contains additives that make it incredibly harmful to swallow.
This isn’t to dissuade you from using mouthwash! On the contrary, mouthwash can be highly effective at reducing plaque in the mouth. Just remember to spit out mouthwash once you’re done swishing.
Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s examine a few other important factors to consider when we look at alcoholic beverages.
Alcohol Effects on Oral Health
Your saliva helps to protect your teeth from tooth decay. The bad news is that alcohol has a drying effect within your mouth, which can remove the protection normally present by the production of saliva.
Furthermore, alcoholic drinks (yup, this includes beer) tend to be high in sugars that can damage teeth. And those sweet wines and mixed drinks concocted with sodas or citrus juices have high acidity which promotes erosion of tooth enamel. At the end of the day, alcohol is not good for your oral health.
If you’re starting to think that your Dakota Dental Family Dentists are sounding a bit like Scrooge and ruining your holiday cheer, take heart!
Simple Tips for Your Pearly Whites While You Dream of a White Christmas
- Always brush and floss well before going to bed (even if the office holiday party went into overtime and it’s really late!)
- Drink a full glass of water and swish to rehydrate your mouth after drinking an alcoholic beverage. (It might be a good idea to find a discrete way to do this.)
- Stay away from alcohol within an hour of going to bed. Your mouth naturally dries out while you sleep.
- Avoid chewing ice from your holiday drinks. This habit can cause damage to your teeth, including breakage!
- Chew sugarless gum between holiday cocktails and sweets to help increase saliva production and flow, rinse away sugars, and decrease the latent acid content of your mouth.
- Make it a New Year’s Resolution to schedule those routine dental services and dental procedures to prevent oral disease. Now is the perfect time to take care of any dental work that you’ve been putting off.
What Alcoholic Beverages Are Best for My Teeth?
Now that you know about the alcohol effects on oral health, you’re probably wondering which holiday drinks are your best bets. Here are our recommendations:
- Light beers offer less acidity than dark beers. Plus, they are much less likely than darker beers to stain your teeth.
- Gin has the lowest acidity out of the alcohol options out there. (Plus, it’s the perfect holiday spirit!) Want to make a mixed drink? Go for the soda water over the tonic. Tonics tend to be very high in sugar!
Discover which holiday drinks you should specifically avoid here! Above all else, moderation is key! Enjoy these drinks, but be sure to care for your teeth before and after.
Swing By for a Visit at Dakota Dental
With these helpful tips tucked in your holiday stocking, feel free to partake in holiday cheer – responsibly and in moderation, of course. And remember, you can always contact us with questions you have about your dental health. We are always here to keep your teeth healthy and strong, no matter what season we’re in!