Oral and Dental Health in Alcohol Misusing Patients

Abstract

Dental and oral health and their relationship to nutritional status among a group of alcohol misusers (n = 107) from south London is reported. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) questionnaire was validated as an accurate and reliable screening questionnaire for use in alcohol misuse detection by a dentist. Half of the study population consumed >200 units of alcohol/week, and 80% were heavy smokers. A high incidence of tooth wear and trauma to the dentition was recorded. Eight subjects had oral mucosal lesions, including two previously treated carcinomas. The dental health in alcoholics overall was not compromised, but nutritional impairment (body mass index and reduced midarm muscle circumference) was associated with periodontal lesions. Oral mucosal health of alcoholics is of concern, particularly in heavy smokers. The interrelationships between dental-oral health and alcohol-tobacco usage have implications for preventative counseling in this patient group.

Erosive tooth wear status of institutionalized alcoholic patients under rehabilitation therapy in the north of Portugal

“…A higher amount of daily alcohol consumption may create condition for higher amounts of acidic intake, mainly in contact with palatal surfaces. These findings corroborate the results obtained by Harris et al in their study, in which the ETW had shown to be positively associated (r = 0.41; p = 0.02) to the average number of consumed alcohol units per week [23]. Similar results were verified in another study, which identified an increased risk (OR = 1.62) for erosion in the palatal surfaces, associated with standard amount of alcohol units consumed [18].…”

Epigenetic inactivation of the SFRP genes is associated with drinking, smoking and HPV in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

“…Alcohol use is a well known risk factor for oral cancer, acting both independently and synergistically with tobacco usage 5 ; however, the carcinogenic mode of action of alcohol is not well understood. It has been suggested that alcohol may modify the cellular metabolism of carcinogens, 32 that its metabolite, acetaldehyde, is responsible for enhanced risk, 33,34 that excessive use may lead to nutritional deficiencies enhancing risk, 35 and that alcohol itself may simply solubilize carcinogens and enhance their penetration into cells. 36 Our data suggest that alcohol may act as a selective agent, promoting growth of cells with SFRP1 promoter methylation, and that the effect is independent of the effect of tobacco, with both light and heavy drinking cases showing similar elevated relative risks of SFRP1 promoter methylation (ORs 3.7 and 3.5, respectively) compared to nondrinking cases.…”

The relationship of alcohol dependence and alcohol consumption with periodontitis: A systematic review

“…5 Apart from the reliable evidence that alcohol intake cause serious damage to general health, studies have suggested that alcohol consumption and alcohol dependence may cause harmful effects in the oral cavity such as caries, loss of teeth, oropharyngeal cancers and periodontal disease. [6][7][8] Some review papers have identified possible risk factors for periodontitis, including dental biofilm, smoking, diabetes, gender, aging, psychosocial factors and HIV infection. [9][10][11][12][13] However, no systematic review on the possible influence of alcohol consumption and alcohol dependence on periodontitis has been conducted.…”