People who smoke or use tobacco are known to be bad for their health and should be protected from it. But people often don’t realize how bad tobacco is for your mouth health. There are a lot of bad things that can happen to your mouth health if you smoke. This blog post will go into more detail about those problems.
The Problem with Tobacco
There are many kinds of tobacco, from cigarettes and cigars to chewing tobacco. All of them are full of chemicals that are bad for you, like nicotine and tar. When these harmful chemicals are breathed in or taken into the body through the mouth, they can have a big effect on oral health.
- Stains and discolorations on the teeth: One of the most obvious effects of smoking is that teeth are damaged and discolored. It can be hard to get past the fact that nicotine and tar can quickly turn white teeth yellow and brown.
Two types of gum disease are gingivitis and periodontitis. Tobacco is a strong allergen, and using it is highly linked to gum disease. When you smoke, your immune system is less able to fight off bacterial infections. This makes it easier for gum disease to start and get worse.
- Mouth Cancer: The higher chance of getting mouth cancer is probably the worst thing that can happen if you smoke. Cancer of the lips, tongue, cheeks, gums, and throat are all in this group. One of the main things that can cause these kinds of cancers is smoking.
- Loss of teeth: Gum disease and mouth cancer can make you lose your teeth. Less blood flows to the gums when you smoke, which makes it harder for the tissues to heal and grow back.
- Bad Breath: Halitosis, or constant bad breath, is a big problem for people who smoke. It can be embarrassing to be around other people who smoke.
- Lower Sense of Smell and Taste: Smoking can lower your smell and taste, which can make it harder to fully enjoy food and drinks.
- Delayed Healing: People who smoke take longer to heal after dental treatments like tooth extractions or mouth surgeries, and they are more likely to have problems after surgery.
- Loss of Bone: Smoking can cause bone loss in the jaw, which can make teeth less stable.
Giving up tobacco to improve your oral health
The good news is that stopping smoking can mostly stop or even reverse the bad effects of tobacco on mouth health. Here are some things you can do to stop smoking or using tobacco:
- Get Help: To improve your chances of successfully stopping smoking, you might want to join a program or support group.
- Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT): To ease the signs of addiction, talk to your doctor about using NRT, such as nicotine gum, patches, or prescription drugs.
- Behavioral treatment: Cognitive-behavioral therapy can help you figure out what makes you want to smoke and how to control your cravings.
- Restoring your oral health: Once you’ve quit, talk to your doctor about teeth whitening and other ways to improve your mouth health.
In conclusion
There are scary and far-reaching effects of tobacco on mouth health, but they can be fixed. One of the most important things you can do to protect your mouth health, lower your chance of oral cancer, and get back a healthy, confident smile is to stop smoking. In your quest to quit smoking and live a better life, your dentist and primary care doctor can be very helpful. Don’t forget that your smile is important.