Survey: Many Patients Unaware Of How Alcohol Consumption, Smoking Affect Oral Health

DrBicuspid  (9/17, Pablos) reported that “market research platform DentaVox asked 5,551 people how their lifestyle affected their oral health,” and “the responses weren’t always accurate, especially when it came to alcohol and smoking.” For instance, one “alcohol-related myth that 22% of respondents believed is that alcohol kills bacteria and therefore eliminates dental plaque.” Concerning how smoking affects oral health, “one-third of respondents said tooth discoloration was the only problem caused by smoking.” However, 93% of participants “correctly pointed out that smoking can lead to oral cancer.”