Episode Transcript
[00:00:04] You're listening to Trust yout Teeth, the podcast where lifestyle meets dentistry.
[00:00:10] It's Friday night. After a long week. You pour a glass of wine.
[00:00:14] Or maybe it's a cold beer with friends. Laughter spilling across the table.
[00:00:19] These rituals help us unwind, celebrate, connect.
[00:00:24] But here's the part most people miss.
[00:00:26] Even a single drink can quietly interfere with how your mouth heals.
[00:00:31] If you've had a tooth pulled, gum surgery, a bone graft, or an implant, alcohol doesn't just slow recovery. It raises your risk of complications.
[00:00:42] Why?
[00:00:43] Because alcohol changes the environment your mouth needs to heal. It dehydrates you. It reduces saliva flow. And saliva isn't just comfortable. It carries minerals, washes away bacteria, and fuels tissue repair.
[00:00:57] Without it, surgical sites stay vulnerable, healing slows.
[00:01:02] And then there's plaque.
[00:01:04] After surgery, brushing near the site is discouraged for a few days.
[00:01:09] That gives plaque more freedom to collect.
[00:01:12] Now add wine or beer with sugars and carbs that feed. Bacteria that buildup around sutures creates irritation, slows repair, and raises the risk of infection.
[00:01:24] Even so called dry wines contain sugar. Beer converts carbs into sugar, and alcohol itself is acidic.
[00:01:33] Together, that's a double weaker enamel, more bacteria, swelling, gums that struggle to recover.
[00:01:40] But the most serious effect may be the one you can't see.
[00:01:44] Alcohol suppresses your immune system.
[00:01:46] It weakens the white blood cells that fight infection.
[00:01:50] It reduces clot stability.
[00:01:52] It slows the collagen your body needs to repair bone and gum tissue. That's why drinking too soon after surgery can be so damaging.
[00:02:00] An extraction is more likely to develop. Dry socket A graft has a harder time. Sealing an implant may take longer to fuse with bone.
[00:02:10] Even one drink in the healing window can set you back days or even double your recovery time.
[00:02:17] So what's the smarter move?
[00:02:20] Start with hydration.
[00:02:21] If you do choose to drink outside of healing, always alternate with water, still or sparkling. It restores saliva, balances acid, and protects tissues.
[00:02:32] Explore alcohol free options from crafted mocktails to botanical tonics, today's choices feel elegant and indulgent without the sugar spikes or dehydration.
[00:02:44] And most importantly, time it right.
[00:02:48] Skip alcohol in the days leading up to your procedure and stay alcohol free while your body heals.
[00:02:54] That usually means at least three full days after an extraction and a week or longer after implants, grafts, or gum surgery.
[00:03:03] Your dentist may advise even more time, depending on how you're healing.
[00:03:08] The truth is simple. Alcohol dries the mouth, feeds bacteria, weakens immunity, and slows the very recovery your smile depends on.
[00:03:17] But with small shifts, hydration, refined choices, timing you protect the investment you've made in your health because a drink may last an evening, but your smile is for life, and that's the real luxury protecting it.
[00:03:33] Thanks for listening to Trust your teeth. If you found today's episode helpful, follow the show and share it with someone who could use a smarter boost.
[00:03:42] Until next time, heal smarter, smile stronger.
