Halloween Drinking: Harmless Fun or Smile Saboteur?

With September coming to an end, you may be excited about October. Halloween is a popular holiday where many families and friends come together for innocent frights. If you are gearing up for a costume party, you might think about indulging in several themed alcoholic beverages. However, be wary of them. Here’s how they can affect your smile and tips to prevent any harm.

Sugar Content

Mixed drinks may be tasty, but they can be trouble. The sodas and juices in them are sugary. They increase your risk of decay by feeding the bacteria in your mouth. Plaque produces an enamel-dissolving acid that can turn into cavities if you aren’t careful. So having a few too many can do more than make you feel different.

Dental Discoloration

Alcohol in general is also acidic. Drinking it dissolves your grin and weakens it over time. This can allow dark pigments from dyed treats to find their way into your teeth and lead to stains. Red wine and beer are a few items that can cause discoloration.

Dehydration

Many people often forget that alcohol is a diuretic. This means you may urinate more often, but this can cause dehydration. While you might imagine another glass will even it out, this isn’t the case. You won’t be able to produce adequate amounts of saliva, which protects your smile from oral health issues. Instead, bacteria can linger longer and cause problems.

How to Protect Your Smile During Halloween

In the end, you should still celebrate Halloween, but don’t let your smile suffer as you drink. There are easy ways to prevent worries. Here are simple tips to know:

• Limit how many alcoholic beverages you have in total.
• Drink water in between to neutralize acids and wash away debris.
• Reduce how many sugary options you have.
• Don’t forget to brush and floss at the end of the night. You can do it beforehand, but wait 30 minutes, as alcohol can soften your enamel.

In the end, drinking isn’t bad in moderation, but sticking to the tips above can help you avoid complications. That way, you don’t have any scares to your grin and enjoy your time.

About the Practice

Want a stronger smile? Our team at Derek Song, DMD is dedicated to helping patients in Burlington avoid dental problems with a wide range of preventive and restorative treatments. Led by compassionate dentists, we use state-of-the-art technology to find issues while they are minor and tackle them. If you want to make sure your teeth are in great shape for Halloween, schedule an appointment or call our office at 781-272-5890.