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Different drinks affect the health of your teeth in several ways. First of all, this influence is due to their acidity
.
If the pH level (hydrogen value) is below 5.5, the product is considered acidic. Both drinks and foods with low pH levels soften tooth enamel, increasing the risk of tooth decay and temperature sensitivity of teeth. The sugar in such products makes them even more dangerous. Let's see how coffee, tea and 6 other popular drinks ( including alcoholic drinks
) affect the condition of your teeth.
Tea
Tea, so popular among us, is fundamentally safe for teeth.
. Here you should remember that we are talking about the tea that you brew in the morning, and not about the drink in a plastic bottle called “ice tea”, “ice tea”, “iced tea”, etc.
According to this material, green tea has the highest pH level
, it is slightly lower for chamomile and mint teas. The pH level of black tea is from 4.9 to 5.5. But hibiscus has a very low pH level, about 2.5, which means this tea is unsafe for teeth.
Bottled “iced” teas are drinks in the same range as a variety of colas. Their pH ranges on average from 2.5 to 3.5. In addition, they are loaded with sugar beyond measure, which makes such drinks real enemies of the teeth.
The statistics are inexorable
According to dental statistics, 50-year-old women who have all their teeth lose about 50% of their teeth after ten years. The most intense process of tooth loss due to osteoporosis is observed in women.
The statistics are deplorable, but these are the realities of life.
YuliSTOM dental clinics in St. Petersburg invite all elderly people for consultations and treatment. Our clinics are equipped with modern effective methods of preventing tooth loss. Moscow metro station Zvezdnaya, Danube Avenue, 23
Coffee
pH of black coffee
, according to this study, is
5.51
. An excellent pH value that makes your favorite drink not only pleasantly invigorating, but also safe for teeth in terms of their mineralization.
Moreover, this work provides information about some of the ability of coffee to resist tooth decay, but to obtain such a result, the drink must be strong, undiluted and hot. And without sugar or sweeteners, of course. That is, cappuccino and other options
, which involve adding third-party ingredients to coffee,
are unsafe for teeth
.
At the same time, you should remember about the ability of coffee to give your teeth an undesirable dark tint. And after teeth whitening, you should completely abandon this drink for quite a long period of time.
Consequences of drinking alcohol after dental procedures with anesthesia
Most procedures in the dentist's office are performed using anesthesia, which provides necessary numbing to the local tissue that is to be treated. The most widely used anesthetics are:
- Lidocaine – provides long-term freezing, administered by injection into the gum area;
- Novocaine;
- In some situations, it is advisable to use arsenic placed in a diseased tooth.
Drinking alcohol after dental anesthesia can have a side effect - the teeth begin to ache as a result of the interaction of ethyl alcohol with the anesthetic, which leads to neutralization of the anesthetic effect of the drug.
Another side effect of ethyl alcohol in combination with anesthetic drugs is an increase in the decay time of drugs. Among the main undesirable effects of painkillers, an important role is played by the ability of anesthetics to disrupt the function of liver cells, and in combination with alcohol, medications are retained in hepatocytes for a longer period.
Drinking alcohol after dental implantation can lead to bleeding from the affected areas of the gums, since alcohol tends to thin the blood and has a vasodilatory ability, this situation can slow down the healing process, and also increases the risk of a secondary infection.
Fruit juices and nectars
According to data, most juices have a low pH
, so they are dangerous for teeth. For example,
- Orange juice pH is about 3.5
- Pineapple juice pH is about 3.5
- pH of grape juice is about 3.2
But apple juice’s pH value is in perfect order: 5.5.
Nectars, by the way, are even more dangerous than juices, since they contain a high sugar content, which is harmful to teeth without any “buts”. So if you still want to drink juice or nectar, dilute it with water by about half.
Milk and dairy products
The pH value of milk is approximately 6.6
, that is, milk does not harm teeth. As part of this work, the researchers compared milk from 35 cows, which allowed them to obtain this result. Moreover, the proteins (caseins) and minerals contained in milk prevent the formation of colonies of cariogenic bacteria on the teeth.
Kefir has a low pH, 4.2 – 4.6
, which is not very good for teeth (as this article tells us).
At the same time, kefir and other fermented milk products contain lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, which, among other beneficial properties, have some ability to inhibit the development of Streptococcus mutans
, but here, as they say, there are nuances, according to this study. However, no one has canceled the ability of fermented milk products to enhance the generation of saliva, which always has a positive effect on the condition of teeth.
Sweet carbonated drinks
Here, unlike kefir, there can be no two opinions: soda = harm to teeth and more
. You've probably seen videos and programs that voiced the sugar content in a glass of cola (~8 spoons!).
The pH of sweet carbonated water is only 2-3, which is very bad for teeth. A number of studies have established a direct connection between soda and caries, but the matter is not limited to caries alone, since such drinks also cause more serious health problems, including type 2 diabetes.
So it is better to avoid drinking this kind of drink. At the very least, drink soda in very moderation and through a straw.
.
Treatment
Medical intervention is carried out in two directions. The doctor's task:
- Prevent further tooth loss
- Restore dentition
In the first case, treatment depends on the diagnosis. This includes professional teeth cleaning, drug therapy, and remineralization (replenishing the lack of minerals).
The second direction is prosthetics. We discussed the risks of tooth loss at the beginning of the article. Therefore, the dentist’s task is to restore chewing function and the aesthetics of the smile. It is solved using:
- Fixed prosthetics
Bridges visually restore the dentition, but in reality they cannot evenly distribute the chewing load. They are recommended to be installed if 1-2 units are missing. In addition, in order to install a bridge, the adjacent teeth are depulped (the nerve is removed), depriving them of nutrition.
- Removable prosthetics
Removable dentures are used mainly in the absence of several or all teeth, and yoke dentures are used in the presence of at least 6 good ones. If the upper teeth are missing, then the plate dentures are quite firmly fixed due to suction to the upper palate. On the lower jaw you often have to use a special cream.
- Implantation
This is so far the only method that is as close as possible to natural teeth. The load on the implant stimulates metabolic processes and blood flow in the tissues. The bone tissue remains strong, maintaining the oval shape of the face and the youth of the smile. The load on the chewing teeth is distributed evenly. Well-chewed food does not irritate the mucous membranes. In addition, any type of prosthetics can be used on implants.
Wine
In the vast majority of cases, the hydrogen index of wine is 3-4
(see this page). It doesn't matter whether the wine is white or red, in terms of pH, this drink is harmful to your teeth.
Red wine also has a negative effect on the color of teeth. But: according to this study, the substances it contains (proanthocyanidins that wine gets from grapes) have the ability to fight cariogenic bacteria
. Of course, excessive consumption of wine should not be justified by this property.
Beer
Interesting fact: the same pH scale that we so actively rely on in this material was developed by brewers, more precisely, by the Carlsberg brewing laboratory back in 1909. This is discussed in this material. There is also information about the average hydrogen index of beer, which is 4
, which makes the foamy drink an enemy of the teeth.
Like other alcoholic drinks, beer negatively affects the condition of enamel and is also one of the causes of dry mouth. And when there is no saliva, bacteria “work” on your teeth with redoubled force.
However, beer also has beneficial properties.
. This drink contains a lot of minerals and nutrients, including silicon, which bones need. Strong bones ensure that your teeth will stay in place if you take proper care of them. Silicon is especially needed for those who suffer from osteoporosis.
Prevention of tooth loss
It is easier to prevent a disease than to treat it - this truism is remembered more often when the disease has progressed far and complex treatment is required. Tooth loss can be prevented by following these recommendations:
- Maintain personal oral hygiene: brushing your teeth should be done at least twice a day, morning and evening;
- use dental floss to clean the spaces between your teeth from food debris;
- Visit your dentist regularly, even if your teeth are not causing concern;
- strictly follow your dentist’s recommendations for dental care and disease prevention;
- take care of chronic diseases (if any);
- protect your teeth from injury.
Vodka, whiskey, cognac
If you set out to find information on the Internet about the pH value of vodka, get ready for several minutes of fruitless searching. There is no consensus on this drink: somewhere it is written that the pH of vodka is 3.5-4, somewhere it is stated that vodka is a neutral drink, GOST requires water with a pH from 5.5 to 7.8 for its manufacturing and the final product may have this indicator at the same level. The truth, as usual, is somewhere nearby: different vodkas have different pH
, that's all. Just don’t overuse it, because even if the pH of your preferred brand is normal, this does not mitigate the other negative properties of alcohol in any way.
The same can be said about other strong alcoholic drinks. For example, this study of brandy (you know that cognac is the only drink that is produced in the French province of the same name, right?) showed that the pH of the drink can range from 2.24 to 7.97. So the recommendations here are the same as for any other alcohol: be vigilant and prudent. And try not to savor such drinks
.
How to relieve toothache after alcohol?
Visit your dentist right away to have your mouth examined and take photographs to evaluate the condition of the roots. No folk methods will help solve the problem, much less another glass of vodka. It is important to deal with the root cause. If after complex treatment a person does not stop drinking, there will be serious consequences.
You will get rid of alcoholism 100% anonymously. Inpatient and outpatient treatment programs have been developed, including:
- Detoxification – removing toxins from the body, replenishing mineral/vitamin deficiencies, restoring water-salt balance.
- Medical and social rehabilitation - work in groups, drug therapy, visits to a psychologist.
- Social and psychological rehabilitation.
- Social adaptation.
You can get a free consultation and make an appointment with a narcologist by calling 8.
Plain and sparkling water
There is nothing better than ordinary drinking water for your teeth.
. Its pH ranges from 6.5 to 8.5, at 25 degrees – 7. Probably the only danger that water can pose in terms of dental health is a sharp temperature change that occurs when after a hot drink (for example, espresso) you drink cold water. Don't do this and everything will be fine. Drink as much water as your body requires.
Sparkling water is another matter
. Its pH is on average 3-4, that is, it is a harmful drink for teeth. Here we are talking specifically about simple sparkling water, and not about the sweet soda that we discussed above.
The properties of natural mineral water depend entirely on its source. Information about the pH of a natural mineral water can often be found on its label. Often beneficial waters of this series have pronounced medicinal properties, are sold in pharmacies and are used for certain indicators.
Total...
- Drink water when you are thirsty.
- Drink coffee/tea if you need to warm up and cheer up.
- Drink milk and dairy products if you like them and your stomach does not protest against their consumption.
- Drink soda only through a straw and in moderation.
- Alcoholic drinks... Think about more global consequences than damage to your teeth when you drink them.
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Consequences before implantation
It is necessary to dwell in more detail on what consequences may occur due to alcohol consumption before implantation. The effect of the anesthetic may not be sufficient to completely eliminate discomfort. The patient may also experience low blood pressure, become dizzy, or faint, which will make the operation impossible until his condition is completely normalized.
Sometimes alcohol leads to disturbances in heart rhythms, difficulty breathing, swelling of the larynx, allergies, which is extremely rare, but can also lead to death in dental practice. If you take alcohol after the intervention, the effect of anesthesia will increase several times, that is, the toxic effect on the body will be twice as strong. This is very dangerous, as it can lead to the development of complications, for example, toxic hepatitis.
But not only alcohol should be avoided in the first few days after the pin is implanted. These restrictions also apply to strong black and green tea, instant and regular coffee, sugary drinks such as soda, and fresh and store-bought juices. Following the recommendations of doctors will allow you to recover faster without endangering your health.
