What Are the Risks for Your Teeth and Gums from Smoking?
What Are the Risks for Your Teeth and Gums from Smoking?
Smoking can damage your teeth and gums and increases your risk of oral cancer. Your dentist can offer advice and put you in touch with resources to help you quit smoking.
Key takeaways:
- Oral bacteria increases when smoking, placing smokers at a major risk of gum disease.
- Smoking has a detrimental impact on the immune system and makes healing from dental procedures more difficult.
- As smoking contributes to gum disease and jaw bone loss, it means smokers are at a higher risk of tooth loss.
“Smokers are 10 times more likely to get oral cancer than non-smokers. If you smoke, dentists recommend an annual oral cancer screening to help identify oral cancer early beginning at the age that you started smoking.”
How a Dentist Can Help to Quit Smoking
It is widely accepted that giving up cigarettes is not easy and any assistance in doing so is to be welcomed. An unlikely source of support in quitting the habit is the dentist, as they are often the first to notice oral problems caused by smoking.
When trying to quit smoking the dentist can assist by providing:
- Guides for cutting down or quitting
- Contact details for support groups
- Advising on a “quitting” plan
Discoloured teeth are not the only harmful affect of smoking and your dentist can identify any damage such as gum disease, damaged teeth and even early signs of oral cancers related to your habit.
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