Protect your teeth – stop smoking today

Protect your teeth – stop smoking today

March 9, 2020 12:44 pm Published by

When it comes to dental health, there’s nothing good about smoking. We all know about the cancer risks of smoking – but do you know the implications for lips, teeth and gums? 14th March is No Smoking Day in the UK, and there’s no better time to be aware of the risks for your oral health.A change in your smile

Smoking causes tooth discoloration in the form of yellow stains – gained as a result of tar and nicotine in the tobacco sticking to tooth enamel. Your gums might even be discolored too. After several years of smoking, these stains seep into the teeth and can unfortunately become permanent. Smoking also causes bad breath that tooth brushing alone won’t remove. This is because particles and chemicals from cigarettes stay in the mouth and on the tongue. You will also experience a build-up of plaque on the surface of the teeth, which is a hard coating that allows damage-causing bacteria to accumulate.

  • A change in your senses

Smokers often have a dulled sense of taste, and a duller sense of smell also. This means you are more likely to crave flavor in your food, and add salt or sugar which can be bad for your health. Smoking also reduces saliva flow – the mouth’s natural mouthwash. This can cause a dry mouth, meaning your mouth isn’t so well able to look after itself, and potentially making bad breath worse too. Without enough saliva, bacteria has more of a chance to thrive. This makes tooth decay and cavities more likely.

  • Tobacco products

Chewing tobacco can be just as harmful to your health as cigarettes are – if not worse in some ways. This is because the tobacco contains cancer-causing chemicals and often larger amounts of nicotine than cigarettes do, making it difficult to give up. Chewing tobacco means it is in the mouth for longer, so it can irritate gums also. Surprisingly, it often contains sugar to alter the taste, which means even more tooth damage. Pipes and cigars are also very damaging to dental health, in the same way as cigarettes are – even if you don’t inhale the smoke.

  • Gum disease

One of the biggest issues with smoking is that it compromises your immune system. It also affects the blood flow through your mouth. All this means it can be harder to fight off germs. Bacteria found naturally in the mouth may be able to infect gums – leading to early gum disease, known as gingivitis. This means that bacteria accumulate, causing gums become red and inflamed. Over time this can advance onwards to periodontal disease, where the gums pull away from teeth, and (if still left untreated) cause teeth to become loose or even fall out completely. Smokers have twice the risk of developing gum disease compared to non-smokers. As long as you are a smoker, your mouth is more vulnerable to infection.

  • Diagnosis and treatment

Diagnosis of gum disease can also be harder for smokers, as the restriction of blood flow means you’re less likely to have the classic symptom of gum disease – bleeding gums. So, gum disease can progress without being spotted and treated in good time. Smokers should be extra vigilant about gum health, flossing, brushing and using a strong antibacterial mouthwash like clockwork. Regular six-monthly visits to the dentist are also more important than ever. Even with extra care, smokers are still more likely to suffer from these conditions and from complications following dental procedures. If you lose a tooth and choose to have an implant, the chances of its success are reduced drastically if you are a smoker.

  • Other serious conditions

Toxins from smoking can cause havoc in your mouth. You may suffer from bone loss in the jaw for example. You also have an increased risk of oral cancer. According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, an estimated 50,000 people in the US are diagnosed with oral cancer every year, with 80% of those people being smokers. So if you have a discolored patch of gum, or a sore that doesn’t go away after several weeks, you must get it checked out by a medical professional.

  • Stopping smoking

Toxins from smoking can cause havoc in your mouth. You may suffer from bone loss in the jaw for example. You also have an increased risk of oral cancer. According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, an estimated 50,000 people in the US are diagnosed with oral cancer every year, with 80% of those people being smokers. So if you have a discolored patch of gum, or a sore that doesn’t go away after several weeks, you must get it checked out by a medical professional.

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