Stop Smoking, Save Your Teeth and Gums

Tooth and gum disease are prevalent in smokers, as they are the most prone to damaging their teeth with bouts of smoking and for being unmindful of oral hygiene. It’s easy to spot a cigarette or cigar chain smoker just by judging the deteriorating state of their teeth. Studies on the kinds of smoke and whether there is any viable difference when it comes to higher or lower risks, have shown that the rates are equivalent between cigar, cigarette, pipes and etc.

Smoking heightens the risk of periodontal disease. Tooth and alveolar bone loss are severe effects of smoking, and higher than that, mouth and throat cancers easily develop because of smoking. Despite the broad cover of the ill effects of smoking, there is always a solid correlation between them. Smoking opens up a lot of oral health consequences, especially because poor oral hygiene and gum infection go hand in hand.

Gum problems are deeply rooted due to gum infection. The likes of gingivitis, when your gums swell and bleed profusely; tooth abscess, when bacteria gets into a lesion in between the gum tissue and the teeth; or even periodontitis, which leads to total loss of attachment of teeth and even bone damage.

The main link between smoking and your oral health is the chemicals present in cigars, cigarette and tobacco that rapidly slows down the growth and healing process of a tooth enamel, and lowers the effectivity of tooth treatments. The high risk of smokers getting periodontal disease is a well-studied correlation. Smokers are much more likely to have dental problems than non-smokers.

Smokers have “Smoker’s Breath” a term for the bad breath smokers usually have because of the smoke itself and the deteriorating condition of the teeth due to collection of plaque especially calculus. This calculus is a hardened plaque below the gum line e that is almost impossible to remove, and can only be done during a dentit’s visit. If left untreated, the calculus easily destroys tissues to create pockets between the gums and the teeth, leaving it even more vulnerable to infection.

Dentists always strongly recommend ceasing to smoke, or at least, minimize their amount of smoke a day. There is more to dental problems in smoking, your entire body suffers from different ailments and diseases. It’s a good idea to look into long-term solutions if you would like to learn more about how to stop smoking.