For most people, the holiday season comes replete with chances to spend time with loved ones, nosh on great food and, yes, “cheers” to some of the season’s best bubbly. But whether you prefer champagne to wine or mixed drinks to beer, you should be aware that alcohol and teeth aren’t natural allies. Luckily, a thorough dental hygiene routine can banish the signs of your indulgence as you enjoy the holidays. Here’s how alcohol can affect your teeth and why you might choose one drink over the other.
Sugar intake can be a major risk factor in tooth decay. That’s because the bacteria in your mouth lives on sugar, so sipping on sweet drinks offers that bacteria plenty of fuel to thrive.

By choosing beverages that are lower in sugar, you can ensure your holiday merrymaking doesn’t turn into a problem.
As “The Wine Bible,” a dry brut champagne typically has just 0.5 grams of sugar per 5-ounce serving. A doux champagne on the sweeter end of the spectrum can have anywhere between 8 and 10 grams of sugar, making a drier champagne the better choice with respect to your teeth. Wine has a similar spectrum with in a typical dry white wine weighing in at roughly 3 grams of sugar per 5-ounce serving, relative to a whopping 8 grams of sugar for a sweet red wine, sherry or port. When in doubt, opt for a drier drink for healthier teeth.

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