While most people have an idea of some of the dangers of tobacco use – lung cancer, problems with pregnancy – the threat to your oral health can also be severe, even deadly.
It’s the season to draw up New Year’s resolutions, and a perennial favorite is to quit smoking. For the 61 million US adults who are smokers – one out of every five Americans – it is a life-or-death decision.
“Smoking is the No. 1 most preventable cause of death, according to both the federal government and the World Health Organization,”
Baby Boomers and their children have lived most of their lives with Surgeon General’s warnings on cigarette packs, pointing out that they cause heart disease, lung cancer and other ills. But if you need more motivation to quit using tobacco, the answer is in your mouth.” Smoking – as well as smokeless tobacco products – can cause a number of serious problems, including:
- Unsightly tooth stains
- Persistent bad breath
- Loss of the ability to taste food
- A higher rate of mouth sores, gum recession and gum disease
- Tough plaque that must be cleaned professionally
- The development of deep pockets between teeth and gums, and the loss of tissue and bones that anchor teeth into place.
- Tooth loss – At a rate triple that of non-smokers
- Healing problems in the mouth – with a lower success rate for periodontal treatments and dental implants
- Formation of white patches in the mouth
- Oral cancer
If you started smoking to look ‘cool’, it has the opposite effect, at least from a dentist’s point of view
The good news is that many of the bad effects of tobacco use can be slowed or even reversed by quitting immediately.