In this industrialized world, in
addition to many threats, killer diseases, and natural calamities, human
society is under a high stress due to alcoholism. “Alcoholism” is a “man-made
ones” rather than that of nature. Alcoholism is the origin of many diseases including the major ones-cardiovascular diseases and cancer. There is also a
significant increase in the consumption of alcohol among youngsters that lead
to traffic accidents and other social issues. Alcoholism also results in the
economic costs on the society.
There is a common saying, “Oral
Health is the Overall Health”. A survey of research on alcoholism showed
several interesting findings on the effect of alcohol on the oral health.
Chronic alcohol leads to cancer in the upper aero digestive tract. Frequent consumption of alcohol, i.e., around 50 g can result in an increase in the risk
of oral cancer when compared to non-drinkers by two or three times. Alcohol in
mouthwashes also can play a role in the harmful effect in the oral cavity due
to inherent nature of toxicity and carcinogenic potential. Recent reports show
that alcohol may damage chromosomes and thereby increase micronuclei.