Hundreds of people have flocked to the shops this summer to purchase the season’s favourite drink – prosecco. However, dentists are reminding people just how much damage it can do to your teeth. As a cheaper alternative to champagne, it is being consumed by thousands of people – making a massive contribution to their rate of tooth decay. The drink’s spark in popularity could potentially be putting the whole nation’s oral health at risk.
The main causes of tooth decay in prosecco are its low pH value (meaning high acidity) and high sugar content. According to Dr Mervyn Druian, who works at the London Centre for Cosmetic Dentistry, it’s easy for the younger generation, especially women looking to relax, to pop a bottle with friends and knock back a few glasses without thinking. However, unlike other acidic, alcoholic beverages such as wine, prosecco is not commonly consumed with food and is drunk to cool off through the day, meaning it is “very easy” to consume more than intended without noticing.
Dr Druian went on to warn people to take more notice of the potential oral health risks linked to the frequent drinking of prosecco, in order to prevent getting a so-called ‘prosecco smile’. He reminded the public that we should remember our dentists’ advice to always have sugary or acidic food and drink in strict moderation, especially when consumed without food. Potential damage prosecco can cause includes but is not limited to tooth sensitivity, pain in teeth and gums and the development of a painful white line by the gums.
Professor Damien Walmsley, scientific advisor to the British Dental Association, warned that the drink was a “triple whammy” – a triad attack of sugar content, carbonation and low pH. In the past year alone, UK citizens consumed over 40 million litres of prosecco.