Here at Anthony Dailley, DDS, we are no strangers to the tradition of grabbing a nice cold beer after a long days work. Every now and then we like to head down to Jupiter over at 2181 Shattuck Avenue to try some of their awesome beers as we chow down on their amazing pizza. Many of our current and prospective patients are shocked to hear us talk about our love of beer, assuming that all alcohol is bad for their teeth. Well, it turns out that the hops used to make beer can have great effects on our teeth. Today, Dr. Anthony Dailley is blogging from Berkeley, CA to talk about hops and how it helps us out.
Protect Your Teeth with a Cold Beer in Hand
Beer wasn’t always so prevalent in the brewing industry as it is today. In fact, it wasn’t until the colonial period of American history when hops stopped being considered nothing more than a nasty weed. During this time period, a lot of the beer being consumed was imported from England. However, merchants discovered that a lot of their stock was spoiling during the long trip across the ocean. This realization lead to the discovery that hops could actually prevent bacteria from growing in beer, keeping it safe the entire voyage.
With the many advancements to beer brewing and exportation that have been made over the years, what keeps hops relevant in today’s brewing scene? It’s the fact that hops has many interesting effects on beer that keeps brewers using it. For instance, some strands of hops have shown to affect the bitterness of the beer. Other strands have proven capable of changing the aroma of beer. There are even some strains of hops that can make both of these changes at the same time.
But what is it about hops that can make the beer made with it beneficial for our oral health? Well, it just so happens that hops is full of a natural forming group of chemicals called polyphenols. The reason we want to consume polyphenols is because they are able to prevent oral cancer and reverse gum disease. They can even help stop plaque from building up on our teeth. One polyphenol present in hops, called xanthohumol has proven capable of killing viruses and preventing bacteria from sticking to our teeth. These benefits work together to prevent the conditions that lead to tooth decay and gum disease from forming in our mouth.
Call and Schedule a Consultation in Berkeley, CA
Like with most substances, beer in moderation is unlikely to have a negative effect on your oral health and can actually help keep your teeth free of tooth decay and gum disease. Unfortunately, beer alone isn’t enough to keep you plaque free, and you may still end up having to deal with a missing tooth. Fortunately, we can replace any missing teeth with dental implants. If you would like to learn more about dental implants and how they provide the best possible replacement teeth, we encourage you to contact us and schedule a no-obligation consultation with dental implant provider, Dr. Anthony Dailley, today.