Smoking and your Oral Health
It is common
knowledge that smoking is a serious health risk. It increases your chance of
heart attack, stroke, and cancer. What is rarely talked about is the effect it
has on your oral cavity including your teeth, gums, bones in the jaw, tongue,
and other oral tissues.
Smoking
decreases your sense of taste and smell. It also causes bad breath, a condition
known as halitosis. A common concern for many is the discoloration of the teeth
from smoking. Whitening will work, but if you continue to smoke, the teeth will
continue to discolor.
That is just
the beginning, smoking poses serious risks related to your oral health. It can
cause inflammation of the salivary glands as well as increased leukoplakia (a
white patch on the oral tissue). Smokers have much higher amounts of plaque and
tartar in their mouths compared to non smokers. This coincides with a smokers
increased risk for gum disease. Smoking interferes with the normal function of
gum tissue cells. This makes them much more susceptible to periodontal disease
which leads to bone loss in the jaw and eventually to tooth loss.
Delayed
healing is also a concern for smokers. Nicotine causes narrowing of the blood
vessels, which impairs blood flow to the gums. This becomes problematic in the
healing process after gum treatment or after an extraction, and it may lead to
a painful condition known as dry socket. And of course, smoking can cause oral
cancer. Smokers are six times more likely to develop cancer in the mouth, lips,
tongue, or throat.
Tips: First,
and most importantly, quit. Talk to your doctor, get a support system, make a
plan, and stick to it. Also, be sure to have good oral hygiene. Regular dental
visits are important as well as regular oral cancer screenings. Talk to your
doctor or hygienist about an advanced oral cancer screening tool called
Vizilite. And stay informed, know what to look for. White, red, or dark,
patches in your mouth that don’t go away within two weeks, should be looked at
immediately by a dental professional.
for more information about your dental health, log on to LevineDental.com or contact our office directly at (414)355-0213.
Levine Dental
8860 N 60th St.
Milwaukee, WI 53223
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