Smoking: The Dental Connection!

Although smoking increases the risk of lung cancer and emphysema, it also impacts your smile! Chronic smokers suffer from increased dental problems that make their smiles unsightly.  Understanding how smoking affects your oral health may be the momentum you need to kick the habit for good.

Cigarettes contain more than 600 ingredients that, when lit, create in excess of 4,000 chemicals. Of these chemicals, many are know carcinogens while others have been shown to have serious negative effects on health. The nicotine and tar in tobacco products are absorbed by the enamel of your teeth.  The result is yellowed teeth that look unsightly; with heavy smoking, your teeth may eventually turn nearly brown in color.

The chemicals in cigarettes and cigars also cause your teeth to become less clean.  Smoking is associated with a build-up of tartar and plaque on the surface of your teeth.  Over time, this increases your risk of developing cavities and other oral health problems.  Furthermore, pursing your lips while smoking leads to wrinkles around your mouth, which detracts from your smile.

In addition to having unsightly teeth, smoking can cause serious health conditions. Because of the carcinogens in cigarettes, smoking is associated with an increased risk of oral cancer, which can be deadly.  Smokers are also more likely to develop gum disease, which can lead to tooth loss.  You may experience an increased loss of bone within your jaw, which will cause significant problems later in life.

By decreasing the amount of nicotine and other chemicals that you consume, you can decrease your risk of oral cancer and gum disease.  If you have any other questions or are in need of a dental appointment, call our office at 918-455-0123!

God Bless,
DRT