Smoking & Oral Health: Why Quitting is Great for Teeth & Gums
You know smoking is bad for you — especially your physical health. It increases your risk of lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke. And you know you should quit. But did you know that quitting smoking will not only improve your overall health, it’s also great for your dental health. By quitting smoking, you greatly lower your risk of gum disease and tooth decay. Here’s what you need to understand about what smoking means for your teeth and gums, and why quitting today will help you have a healthier and more beautiful smile tomorrow.
As your dentist, we’re here for you. We can help you kick the habit. Here’s what you need to know about how smoking affects your dental health — and how you can take steps to quit.
How Smoking Affects Dental Health
Take it from your family dentist. Smoking is hard on your teeth. In fact, smoking wears down your teeth faster, exposing them to decay. Cigars, chewing tobacco, unprocessed tobacco leaves contain tiny particles that are highly abrasive to your teeth, especially when this gunk mixes with your saliva.
Smoking decreases blood flow, increasing the risk of bacteria and inflammation. This can cause weaknesses in your mouth that make it more difficult for your body to accept a dental implant. If you face a broken tooth extraction, your options become more limited the more you smoke.
Not only does smoking impact the flow of blood to your teeth and gums, but it significantly weakens the immune system. This makes it difficult to fight off gum disease and tooth decay. In fact, smokers are twice as likely to develop gum disease as non-smokers. It also weakens your ability to heal from gum disease and treatment for gum disease. Smoking increases your risk for oral infections, including tooth decay.
No, Smokeless Tobacco Isn’t Safer
Hate to break it to you, but smokeless tobacco is just as harmful to your oral health. Smokeless tobacco irritates the gum tissue, causing it to recede or pull away from the teeth. This increases your risk for gum disease. It can also expose the roots of the teeth, making them susceptible to decay.
Not only that, but smokeless tobacco contains a high amount of sugars for flavor, which increases your risk for tooth decay. In fact, users of chewing tobacco were 4 times more likely to develop tooth decay than non-users, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Dental Association.
Your dentist has more bad news when it comes to chewing tobacco. It actually contains sand and grit, which further wears down your teeth. Let’s face it: Smoking is just plain gross.
The Good News? Quitting Smoking Will Improve Your Oral Health
By quitting smoking, you will be able to regain the white in your smile. You will at least stop damaging the white in your teeth and allow it to heal. And we can help eliminate tobacco stains with professional teeth whitening — procedures that are rather pointless if you haven’t yet quit.
Quitting smoking will also decrease your risk for cavities because you’re no longer wearing down the enamel on your teeth. You’ll also lower your risk for gum disease and increase your body’s ability to fight it.
Your Mouth Will Heal Quicker After Oral Surgery
If you should have oral surgery — say a dental implant or wisdom teeth removal — your mouth will heal quicker if you quit smoking. This is because smoking disrupts blood flow, making it more difficult for your body to heal. When you quit smoking, your body can more easily heal following dental implant surgery or wisdom teeth removal.
Quitting the Tobacco Habit
It’s never too late to quit. The sooner you quit the better, but even if you’ve smoked for a long time, your mouth can still heal. In fact, people who quit had a similar risk to gum disease 11 years after quitting than those who never smoked.
Fortunately, there is help available to quit tobacco. You don’t have to do it alone or go cold turkey. Your dentist or doctor can help your nicotine cravings with nicotine gum or patches. Some products are available over the counter; others require a prescription. As your family dentist, we’d be happy to help!
The beauty of chewing nicotine gum to quit smoking is it’s great for your dental health — if the gum is sugar free. Chewing any kind of sugar free gum increases saliva production which provides a natural bath for your teeth, washing away bits of food and sugars that cause tooth decay. Talk to your dentist. He or she can prescribe nicotine gum that will make it easier to quit smoking.