Smoking and Dental Problems
By: Isabelle ThomasTotal Views: 173, Word Count: 543,
Most individuals are aware of the harmful effects of smoking to the body. For most, issues such as cancer are sufficient to make them consider quitting. Nonetheless, several individuals are not aware of the ways that smoking could cause harm to gums and teeth. The risks could be extremely severe and are not just restricted to bad breath and stained teeth, an assumption which many individuals make.
The list of dental problems which could occur through smoke is large. Problems could include: gum disease, bad breath, tooth loss, oral cancer, discoloration of teeth, cavities in teeth, damage to dental work, etc.
Smoking and Dental Problems
Plaque is of course the main cause of dental decay and smoking helps the buildup of plaque on teeth which leads to tooth decay. The chemicals found in cigarettes such as tar and nicotine also stick to gums, teeth and other places in the mouth. This is one of the reasons that smokers could suffer from bad breath. Smoking also results in dry mouth, stopping the flow of saliva and allowing bacteria to thrive. Without the flow of saliva, bacteria could quickly gather and cause problems to teeth.
Smoking and Gum Problems
Smoking could also cause a great deal of problems to the gums. Use of tobacco limits the amount of blood flowing efficiently through the body and to the gum area. This could cause serious problems to the gum tissue and the bones in the mouth. Gums could become severely inflamed and loosen allowing bacteria into the loose areas. Once plaque has effectively taken hold in these recesses, it’s really difficult to clean and this is when the teeth could become loose.
Smoking and Dental Treatments
Smoking could be the nuisance of the dentist’s life when it comes to successful dental treatments. In every case, smoking would be vigorously discouraged after dental treatments. Smokers could develop dry sockets which would prevent healing. Patients who undertake dental implants have a lower chance of a successful treatment than those who don’t smoke.
Smoking and Oral Cancer
Smoking and dental problems go hand in hand. Oral cancer is one of the most serious problems that could arise due to smoking. As per the reports from the Oral Cancer Foundation, one person dies from oral cancer every hour. Tobacco is the primary cause of oral cancer, but it’s curable if the cancer is detected in the early stages. In its early stage, oral cancer could appear as a boil and that’s the reason it sometimes goes unobserved. This cancer could spread through the mouth, lips and throat and any new lesions to the lips or mouth must be looked by a dentist.
Dental problems associated with smoking could be avoided by staying away from smoking. Once an individual quits smoking, the harm done to the gums won’t be any less but the health of the gums would increase tremendously. This increase in gum health could take place as quickly as a year after quitting.
Smoking and dental problem is a far more severe issue than most individuals think. The gums and teeth are vital parts of the body and deserve just as much respect and care as any other parts of the body.
About the Author
Isabelle Thomas has worked for 20 years in various stop smoking clinics as a psychiatrist. She has successfully treated over a thousand chain smokers. Her aim is to spread awareness regarding hazards of smoking through her blogs
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