We did it again! We beat out all the other states this week in yet another competition. Laura Kaeppeler from Kenosha won the Miss America pageant on Saturday and Wisconsin out-drank all the other states again this year!
Our state holds the record for the highest number of drinks consumed during one episode of binge drinking with an average of 9. West Virginia is a close second with 8.7 followed by Louisiana with 8.5 drinks consumed during binge drinking.
What does binge drinking have to do with teeth?
· Vomiting happens. The acid from vomiting erodes teeth. Less tooth surface means more sensitivity and less tooth area to bite off the pull tabs from the beer cans. Teeth can become more sensitive to cold margaritas and hot Irish coffees.
· Oral Cancers are about six times more common in drinkers than non-drinkers. Probably not a good thing to have half your jaw gone in order to save your life. Besides you wouldn't be able to pronounce Menomonie, Manitowoc, Oconomowoc and Waukesha as well as before half your face was gone. People might think you are from Illinois. Not a good thing.
· Gingivitis - Bleeding gums and bad breath won't give our future Miss Wisconsin the edge to bring home the crown at next year's Miss America pageant. A girl with gingivitis and bad breath could win the Miss Drumstick pageant in Yellville, Arkansas. She would not even place with gingivitis at the Miss Kenosha competition.
· Periodontitis – Plaque and tartar create a wedge between your gum and tooth. Bacteria crawl down in there and start eating away the bone that holds the tooth in place. A day of reckoning comes when a periodontist has to rescue your teeth before they fall out.
Bars outnumber grocery stores in Wisconsin. For those of you who have never crossed the state line - it is unusual compared to other states to have a bar on every corner in a town (see map in the link above). If a grocery store wants to stay in business in Wisconsin they will also have a large part of the store devoted to a liquor section.
All of this causes Wisconsin drinkers to spend money on things like rehab programs and legal fees for driving while intoxicated. When a binge drinker doesn't get pushed into doing something by law enforcement or a family intervention there are other costs of binge drinking. They include visits to the doctor, dentist, dental hygienist, oral surgeon and periodontist (the gum and bone repair specialist).
We can keep out-drinking other states to keep Wisconsin's lawyers, doctors and dentists some of the busiest professionals around.
Wisconsin has a championship to defend again next year. Let's hope we do at least as well as the Packers did this season so that some other state will come out ranked #1 in binge drinking next year.
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