After a long day, a glass of wine may just be what’s in order, especially since so many studies have proven it to be so good for us. Well, white wines just can’t catch a break. Once again, white wine turns out to be a lot worse for teeth.[1] However, it’s not the alcohol in the wine that bad for your teeth, but the acidity of the wine. Apparently, the acid content of white wines like Chardonnay or Riesling destroys tooth enamel much faster than reds like Cabernet. The study recommends white wine drinkers munch on cheese, which supplies calcium to counteract the wine’s effect. Essentially, consuming wine with food means the saliva you produce as you chew helps to neutralize its acidity and limits its erosive potential. Therefore, you need to leave some time before brushing teeth to give the enamel a chance to recover from the acid attack or chew xylitol gum to make the enamel less susceptible to being brushed away.
Now red, with all its great antioxidant benefits doesn’t get off the hook. The red wines can stain your teeth. And according to the Mayo Clinic, research studies regarding the benefits of red wine in preventing heart disease have had mixed results. The evidence still isn’t clear whether red wine has more heart benefits than white wine or even beer.[2]
Whether you choose to drink red wine or white may just be a matter of preference. And while there may be benefits to drinking wine, you should do so in moderation.[3] The risks of drinking too much of any alcoholic beverage can easily outweigh the good.
ZoAnna Scheinfeld, MS, DMD
Hanna Orland, DMD
3781 Chamblee Dunwoody Road
Chamblee, GA 30341
770-455-6076
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[1] http://www.newser.com/story/72188/white-wine-hurts-the-choppers.html , according to a German study of human teeth soaked in various kinds of wine.
[3] The Mayo Clinic states that moderation is defined as two drinks per day for men and one drink for women.
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