Smoking was often sold to us in the past as a lifestyle choice which makes us cool and on trend. However, a recent change to our thinking and certain legislative changes all over the world have brought massive restrictions in the sale of tobacco and cigarettes.
These restrictions may have reduced the numbers of smokers because of rising awareness of the harmful effects of cigarettes but there are still too many smokers out there.
Whilst we may be aware of the harm that cigarettes cause to our health, not a lot of focus is placed on the damage it causes specifically to your dental health.
Here are a few ways in which tobacco and smoking are damaging to your teeth and general oral health:
- Gum disease: the toxins from smoking that enter your bloodstream weaken your immune system. This means that you are prone to infections of the gum. You can experience bone and tissue loss in your mouth depending on the severity of the gum disease. This, in turn, can cause tooth loss or even affect multiple teeth, depending on the severity of the bone and tissue loss. In a study conducted in Boston, it was found that cigarette smokers of both genders had more missing teeth than former smokers or people who have never smoked. The study also showed that the smokers of the group had more plaque formation and tooth decay compared to the test group.
With a weakened immune system, any dental infections will take longer to heal even with treatment. About 75% of gum disease in adults occurs in smokers!
- Oral cancer: Many people are aware that smoking causes lung cancer but unaware that the carcinogens in cigarettes can cause many more types of cancers. A shocking statistic published by the American Cancer Association is that the risk of oral cancer (this includes mouth, tongue, lips, and throat cancer) is six times higher in smokers than in people that do not use any tobacco products.
According to the American Cancer Association, chemicals are added to tobacco leaves to enhance the smoking experience. The resulting smoke from this combination of tobacco leaves and additives contains some 70 identified carcinogens!
Some of these cancer-causing agents are nicotine, lead, arsenic, benzene, etc.
To add further injury, there are also radioactive substances found in tobacco leaves which come from the soil and fertiliser the leaves are grown in.
- Teeth staining: the nicotine and tar in the tobacco are released into the mouth while smoking. These two components adhere to the tooth enamel and stain the teeth. Long term, heavy smokers often have teeth that are completely brown.
Having brown teeth is very aesthetically unappealing and can affect your self-confidence.
The best bet to fixing your smile is to whiten your teeth. There are various options that your dentist can advise you on to brighten your teeth and give you healthy-looking teeth. However, you should stop smoking as well in increase the success of the teeth whitening process.
- Receding gums: smoking causes the gums to recede and expose areas of the teeth that are meant to be protected by the gum tissue.
The exposed roots also make your teeth sensitive to hot and cold foods and beverages. This sensory discomfort can only be alleviated by a visit to your dentist and by avoiding hot and cold treats.
When the roots of the teeth become exposed, tooth decay can set in easily.
If gum disease is present and dental tissue loss occurs, pockets can develop in which food particles can become trapped. When the food starts to decay in these pockets, an abscess may develop. This is a localised infection and needs to be treated by your dentist.
- Halitosis: bad breath develops when bacteria in the mouth is left unchecked.
This can be due to poor dental hygiene but smoking also leads to increased plaque formation.
Plaque is the whitish, slimy layer that develops on the teeth when they haven’t been cleaned properly. Over time, this plaque becomes hardened and forms tartar.
Tartar further weakens the gums by causing irritation and gum bleeds.
The halitosis does not seem to disappear regardless of how often you brush your teeth. The smell is emitted from the gum disease and tooth decay.
A visit to your dentist will help you address the situation and you will be cured of your halitosis in no time!
The destructive consequence of smoking sets into motion an almost cascade-like effect on your oral health. From receding gums to gum disease and even to the fatal disease of cancer.
But the news is not all bad, research has found that quitting smoking can improve your health substantially both long-term and short-term.
For example, it was found that after a few minutes after your last cigarette, your blood pressure and pulse rate normalise; 5 years after you quit, your oral cancer risk is halved!
So, there is hope that if you stop smoking right now, you can improve your health and cut down your risk of many dental conditions, including many other inflammatory diseases in the rest of the body.