Does Alcohol Consumption Increase Your Risk for Gum Disease?

Do you like to meet up with friends or family on the weekend for a drink or two to reward yourself for a long week of hard work? Having an alcoholic beverage now and again doesn’t usually have lasting consequences, especially if you don’t have any major health conditions. Alcohol becomes an issue when you are drinking a lot on a regular basis. In addition to increasing your risk of health issues like cirrhosis of the liver, heart disease, and anemia, heavy drinking can also contribute to periodontal disease. Read on to learn more from your dentist about its effect on gum disease and how much is too much.

What Is Considered “Heavy Drinking?”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) usually define heavy drinking by the number of drinks you consume on a weekly basis. This is generally a different number depending on whether you are a man or a woman and other factors. For a man, heavy drinking is usually about 15 or more drinks in a week. For women, this is generally eight or more beverages each week.

Heavy drinking is not the same thing as binge drinking. Binge drinking is when a man has five or more drinks, or a woman has four or more drinks within a two-hour period. This is likely to bring the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level to 0.08% or more. This is the legal level of intoxication in the United States.

How Does Heavy Drinking Contribute to Gum Disease?

A recent study suggests that people who drink more than the daily recommended limit of alcohol are more likely to have an unhealthy mix of bacteria in their mouth. Compared to people who people who don’t drink, heavy drinkers tend to have less beneficial bacteria and more harmful bacteria in the mouth.

One reason why this occurs is because alcohol contributes to dry mouth. Drinks that contain higher percentages of alcohol speed this along. Having enough saliva in your mouth is crucial for washing away food particles and bacteria from the teeth. It also helps to neutralize harmful acids in the mouth that can weaken the protective tooth enamel. If you have a dry mouth, you will have more bacteria. Eventually, this is likely to result in gum disease.

Even though periodontal disease is easily preventable, approximately half of American adults over the age of 30 are suffering from it. One way you can keep yourself from becoming one of these statistics is by moderating the amount of alcohol you are consuming. Your smile and the rest of your body will thank you!

About the Author

Dr. Sol G. Brotman earned his DDS from the University of Maryland Dental School and received his Certificate in Comprehensive General Dentistry from the University of Florida. He is a Master in the Academy of General Dentistry and is one of few private practitioners who passed the written examination for Board Certification in General Dentistry. For more ways to keep your gums healthy or to schedule an appointment, visit his website or call (904) 396-4091.