Author- Dr Aparna Pandya( Mrs India Vivacious 2019)

Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to imbalance of the good and bad bacteria in the mouth and raise your threat for a variety of conditions, according to new exploration.

In a recently published study it was found out that people who consume in heavy alcoholics there is a disruption of flora present in the mouth and gut resulting in various serious conditions like infection, cancer, or cardiovascular complaint.

In heavy alcoholics a shift is seen that results in the overall composition of their oral microbiome (the community of microorganisms in the mouth).

Heavy drinkers in both the genders were classifies as the people who drank more that 2 glasses of alcohol everyday. Heavy alcohol drinking is a well- established threat factor for multiple conditions, including cancers.

Good Versus Bad Bacteria

Further than 700 different species of bacteria and some species of fungi live in the mouth. Numerous of these microorganisms can play an important part in factors that help good, maintain immunity etc

It is seen that heavy drinkers tend to have excessively high counts of dangerous Bacteroidales, Actinomyces, and Neisseria bacteria; and they had counts of various good bacteria such as Lactobacillales.

It has been demonstrated that the bacterial composition can impact the development of oral and upper digestive track cancers, including cancers of the oral structures, esophagus, and pancreas. Changes to bacterial composition from heavy drinking potentially contribute to periodontal complaint, heart complaint, and head and neck cancer as well.

Maintaining a healthier bacterial balance in the mouth can be done by proper maintenance of oral hygiene and oral care. However it has not been very well established that the promoting any changes in the microbiome would lead to the levels of healthy bacteria as found in non drinkers.

Although at this time the researchers don't know how to get to the healthy blend of bacteria that would promote health, their contention that changing the oral foliage ( bacteria that live in the mouth) can help conditions is potentially significant.

The negative effect of alcohol on oral health is not only related to the gingiva but also other oral structures. People who are heavy alcoholics are at significantly higher risk for oral health consequences. With higher levels of plaque, heavy drinkers are 3 times as likely to experience permanent tooth loss. But even if you don’t have dependency on alcohol , it’s important to understand that the presence of alcohol in the mouth is a recipe for tooth decay.

Dehydration decreases the saliva flow in your mouth, and therefore keeps bacteria from being naturally washed off of the enamel of your teeth. This process explains why high alcohol consumption is associated with the presence of plaque and higher incidences of tooth decay.