Don't Wine About It! Understand, Prevent, And Treat The Dental Dangers Of Excessive Wine Consumption

Enjoying a periodic glass of wine will not affect your health and wellness. However, excessive consumption can lead to serious medical issues including addiction and liver disease. While surprising to hear, drinking wine each day can also wreak havoc on your oral health. Considering wine and other alcoholic beverages discolor your teeth and dry out your mouth, full understanding of its effects is smart for your smile's appeal and underlying oral health. Using this guide, you will understand how wine affects your mouth, teeth, and gums and learn the best options to restore your smile back to health.

Dental Effects

You most likely already know that drinking red wine will discolor and stain your teeth. This staining is due to the following three factors:

• Chromogens – The color, or chromogens, in red wine are very strong, so you may notice light stains quickly.
• Tannins – Found in wine, tannins are astringents that help chromogens, foods, and other molecules bind to the surface of the teeth.
• Acids – Wine is also acidic and these acidic properties will quickly erode the surface enamel of your teeth, increasing the risk of staining and further dental complications.

Although discoloring your teeth is a problem, the actual damage to your tooth enamel should be a serious cause for concern. Decreasing the protective enamel on your teeth can lead to cavities, infections, and tooth decay. If left untreated, this decay may also spread onto your gums, causing serious periodontal disease and tooth loss.

In addition, the acidic properties in alcohol will decrease your mouth's natural production of saliva. Since saliva is necessary for rinsing food and harmful bacteria from the mouth, an overly dry mouth will lead to tooth decay and infections. You may not realize the importance of producing 2 to 4 pints of saliva each day, but it is an imperative element in your oral health.

This involved dental damage decreases your smile's appeal, but it can also cause discomfort and pain.  

Preventative Tips

Reducing the amount of wine you drink each day will improve your oral health, but you can reduce your risk of dental damage while still enjoying a periodic glass of wine.

Consider drinking water in between your sips of wine. This will help rinse the chromogens, acids, and tannins off your teeth while also keeping your mouth moist.

Proper snacking while sipping on wine can also reduce the risk of dental damage. Opt for fiber-rich snacks, such as a spinach salad, to eat while enjoying your wine. Fiber-rich foods will act as a toothbrush, scrubbing away the harsh acids from your tooth enamel.

Snacking on cheese is also a great idea and not only because of how the taste complements your wine. Hard cheeses contain more calcium, which can build up a protective layer on your teeth. This extra layer of calcium will prevent chromogens, acids, and tannins from staining and eroding your teeth.

Treatment Options

If you want to restore the health and appeal of your smile, consider reducing the amount of wine you drink each day. Then, consult your cosmetic dentist for treatment options suited to your oral health needs.

Removing surface stains will require a professional cleaning and whitening treatment. However, if your enamel is eroded, your dentist may suggest a fluoride application. Applying fluoride to the surface of your teeth will restore damaged enamel, reducing the risk of further staining and decay.

Dental implants may be necessary if you have lost one or more teeth due to decay. While this is a great option for restoring your smile, the investment can be high, so avoid drinking excess wine after receiving dental implants.

Drinking wine can be a great way to unwind and complement a meal, but excessive consumption can decrease your smile's health and appeal. With these tips, you can understand, prevent, and restore dental damage of drinking wine.