Smoking and Oral Health
Smoking and Oral Health
What you need to know about
Smoking and Oral Health
Smoking causes dental issues, such as:
- Bad breath
- Tooth discolouration
- Salivary gland apertures on the roof of the mouth are inflamed
- Increased plaque and tartar accumulation on the teeth
- Increased bone loss in the jaw
- Leukoplakia, or white patches inside the mouth, is more likely to occur
- Increased likelihood of getting gum disease, which is a major factor in tooth loss
- Delayed recovery from oral surgery, periodontal therapy, or tooth extraction
- Less dental implant treatments are successful
- Enhanced potential for oral cancer
How Does Smoking Cause Gum Disease?
Smoking and other tobacco use can cause gum disease by interfering with the bone and soft tissue’s ability to cling to your teeth. Smoking appears to affect gum tissue cells’ ability to function normally, in particular. Smokers are more vulnerable to infections like gum disease (periodontal disease) due to this interference, which also appears to impact blood flow to the gums, which may slow the healing process.
Do smoking pipes and cigars lead to dental issues?
Yes, smoking cigars and pipes can cause dental health issues. Results of a 23-year study that was published in the Journal of the British Dental Association show that cigar smokers lose teeth and alveolar bone (the bone that supports teeth in the jawbone) at rates comparable to cigarette smokers. Similar to cigarette smokers, pipe smokers also run the danger of losing their teeth. Even if they don’t inhale, pipe and cigar smokers still run the danger of developing oral and pharyngeal (throat) malignancies, as well as other oral side effects like bad breath, discoloured teeth, and an increased risk of periodontal disease.
Are Tobacco Products Without Smoke Safer?
No. Smokeless tobacco products, such as snuff and chewing tobacco, include at least 28 compounds that have been linked to an increased risk of mouth cancer, throat cancer, and oesophagal cancer, just like cigars and cigarettes. In actuality, chewing tobacco has higher nicotine levels than cigarettes, which makes it more difficult to stop using it. Additionally, snuff has more nicotine per can than more than 60 cigarettes.
Your gum tissue may become irritated by smokeless tobacco and begin to pull or recede from your teeth. Your teeth’s roots become visible when the gum line recedes, increasing the risk of dental decay. Eating and drinking become uncomfortable due to the exposed roots’ increased sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures or other irritants.
Additionally, sweeteners, which are frequently added to smokeless tobacco to improve the flavour, can raise your risk of tooth decay. According to research in the Journal of the British Dental Association, chewing tobacco users had a four-fold increased risk of mouth conditions such as tooth decay compared to non-users.
Additionally, most smokeless tobacco products contain sand and grit, which can harm your teeth.