We all know that too much red wine stains our pearly whites.
But the biggest concern, of which most people are oblivious, is that alcohol can erode teeth away, a leading expert has warned.
The London Tooth Wear Centre conducted a study to find out which alcoholic beverages were the most damaging to to teeth.
As a rule of thumb, drinks with a low pH cause most damage to your teeth, because over time acid dissolves the enamel on them.
The study revealed that the worst culprit, Malibu and Coke, which has a pH of 2.5, can cause severe damage to teeth if drunk in excess.
Following closely are any types of wine and ciders, with a pH of 3.
Sweeter wines such as a Hock also have a high sugar content, so will damage teeth more quickly than a Pinot Grigio.
Fruit juices have pHs of between 3 and 4, so are a better option for a mixer than Coke or Lemonade.
Ale is preferable to lager, due to the fizz in the latter.
Summer favourite, Pimms and lemonade, is also bad, as it is not only sweet, but you have it with fruit and lemonade, which is also damaging to teeth.
Professor Eder, who is Clinical Director of London Tooth Wear Centre, told MailOnline:
'You want your mouth to be pH7 - neutral. When you drink sparkling drinks, fruit juices or alcohol, the pH falls below 5.5.
'Your saliva works hard to neutralise any acids, but if you drink a lot of alcohol, over time your mouth regularly becomes acidic. This causes the outer enamel on your teeth to dissolve.
'When you lose enamel, your teeth can become darker and sensitive and also tend wear even more simply due to daily wear and tear often due to abrasion.'
'The most recent Adult Dental Health Survey suggests that over three quarters of the UK population have some form of tooth wear - and these favourite beverages are one of the major culprits.
'There are three main causes of tooth wear: Tooth grinding, abrasion - caused by vigorous brushing and a coarse diet and erosion from acid - which comes from long-term alcohol use,' he says.
Professor Eder says to avoid tooth wear you should choose drinks that have a slightly more neutral PH level.
Alternate your alcoholic beverages with still water and sugar -free gum to produce more saliva to protect teeth.
You should also avoid brushing teeth after acid - when the teeth are soft.
Eat and drink alkaline foods to neutralise your mouth and use fluoride mouthwash which can enhance enamel formation.
Source : dailymail
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