An alcoholic's dental problems can easily become serious, because he may not practice good oral hygiene and let problems go too long. Further, if he doesn't eat right, his teeth suffer. If you are an alcoholic, be advised that years of drinking will take their toll on your teeth in the form of decay, abscess, tooth loss and gum disease.
Detection
In a 2005 Medical University of South Carolina survey of 408 adults treated at an emergency walk-in dental clinic, 80 percent of the respondents believed that dentists should ask patients about their drinking habits. More than 90 percent said dentists should warn patients to drink less or quit if it was affecting their oral health. Yet many dentists, who are in a position to detect early stages of alcoholism, may be reluctant to question their patients.
Information
An alcoholic is usually reluctant to report heavy drinking, unless she has decided to quit or is in recovery. If you're a heavy drinker, you need to tell your dentist to ensure safe treatment and the right medication, according to the find-a-dentist website Dentistry.com. Dentists don't want to sedate patient who has an alcohol problem. Administering an anesthetic can cause complications. Moreover, a liver damaged by alcoholism may have difficulty metabolizing a medication.
Effects
Signs of alcoholism that appear in the mouth can include an unusual amount of decay or tooth loss. Alcoholism can cause a painful tongue or a tongue that burns and reddens from nutritional deficiencies, according to the "Journal of the American Dental Association." Ulcerations in the corners of the mouth or gingivitis, an inflammation of the gums, may develop. Alcohol addiction causes a reduction in the flow of saliva, which interferes with the body's protection against outside substances. This can lead to oral ulcerations.
Damage
The damage alcoholism can cause ranges from mouth injuries sustained in falls to excessive bleeding. If you've failed to tell your oral surgeon about your drinking, you may bleed heavily, because drinking interferes with blood clotting. You run the risk of fracturing your jaw or breaking your teeth if you lose your balance and fall. Should your dentist detect your problem, advising you of what you're doing to your health would be a service.
Prevention/Solution
If you're a heavy drinker who has decided to give your teeth attention, ask your dentist to do a comprehensive medical evaluation and develop a long-term treatment plan. You may need to have your gums scaled, or you may need medication to control the spread of cavities. During surgical procedures you may need extra anesthesia. Ask your dentist or your dentist's hygienist to teach you about proper tooth and gum care.
