The gateway to poor oral health?

This title is a little misleading, simply having a glass of wine occasionally will not necessarily give our patients dental issues, it is more about the amount, frequency and type of alcohol that they consume.

However, alcohol has the properties to change the oral microbiome in patients’ mouths. Heavy drinking may influence bacterial composition, including potential depletion of beneficial commensal bacteria and increased colonisation of potentially pathogenic bacteria.

This means that alcohol is a risk factor for various oral health conditions, including dry mouth, halitosis, tooth decay, gum disease and mouth cancer. The consumption of alcohol is very common within society, so all members of the dental team must be aware of the various risks that alcohol could cause their patients.