Alcohol and Parties

I hate to be a Party Pooper but I must point out the perils of alcohol on your teeth. It is acidic and it causes your mouth to feel dry, so you tend to drink more to take away this feeling. This could lead to impairment. It’s fine if you drink water to counteract the dry mouth, but not fine when you drink soda, lemonade, orange juice, or any other acidic beverage. They compound the problem. Of course, parties often include yummy desserts and cracker snacks that are loaded with sugar, even when they taste salty.

At the risk of being a Party Pooper for a second time, you also need to brush your teeth with a fluoride toothpaste and floss them after the party. The recently-eaten food has placed a layer of sugar between your teeth and it will create acid all night long. This is the quickest path to a cavity. The ones that form between your teeth are often larger, since I must go through the top of the biting surface of the tooth to reach the decay.

My final Party Pooper warning is for those who have receding gums or periodontal disease, now or in the past. Part of your root surface is exposed to the acids in your mouth. The root surface has no enamel, the “armor” that protects teeth from acid attack, so cavities form easily.

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