Drug use
Drug use can make us more likely to have dental decay, gum disease or oral cancer.
Drug use can also change our decisions and routine. Such as forgetting to brush our teeth, or eating unhealthy foods.
If you have worries about drug use, whether for yourself or for someone you know, you can find out more about alcohol and substance misuse.
You can also visit Talk To Frank.
Alcohol
Getting together with your mates is great, and we know that often alcohol might sometimes be involved.
The legal drinking age in the UK is 18, and it's illegal to buy alcohol if you are aged under 18.
But aside from the legalities - drinking too much, too often, can create serious long term health problems – including for your mouth.
Drinking excessive amounts can lead to tooth decay, tooth erosion and gum diseases
Alcopops are very sugary which can damage our teeth.
In addition to high levels of sugar, alcopops have 1.5 units of alcohol. The recommended number of units for an adult in the UK is 14 per week maximum.
This alcohol unit reference chart shows what units might look like for other drinks.
Binge drinking means drinking enough to get drunk, which can make us behave differently and sometimes hurt ourselves or others.
Drinking can also cause oral cancer, and drinking with smoking makes this risk even higher.