Smoking and dental health

When a person smokes, they will increase their risk of developing oral cancer. Throat and lung cancer are also likely problems they can expect if they smoke. People that are addicted to tobacco often turn to chewing tobacco as a replacement for smoking. Chewing tobacco is just as bad, if not worse for your dental health. People that smoke or use chewing tobacco are 4 times as likely to develop oral cancer. Smoking causes a lot of problems for your oral health including the following:

• Bad breath
• Yellow or stained teeth
• Bone loss
• Shrinking gums, because roots of the teeth to become exposed (this is quite painful)
• Mouth sores and poor healing of these sores
• Decreased sense of taste
• Decreased sense of smell
• Hairy tongue
• Leukoplakia
• Cracked and bleeding lips
• Bleeding gums
• Cancer of the mouth, throats, and gums

If a person smokes, they will have more calculus than non-smokers. Calculus means their dental plaque is hardened and causes more problems like cavities. When people smoke, they have decreased blood circulation. Your teeth and gums need proper circulation to stay healthy. When people smoke, the blood circulation is actually decreased by about 70 percent.

Even if you don't smoke, you are still at risk for developing gum disease because you are around people that smoke. Second-hand smoke is just as dangerous as smoking. Sadly, thousands of people die each year from exposure to second-hand smoke.

Smoking also impacts the body's ability to fight off infections. Your immune system will be weaker and it will be easier to get sick. Your oral health can suffer if you need to have major oral surgery done like an extraction or root canal. This is a shock to the body and it will take longer to heal if you are a smoker.

Another oral health problem you will be dealing with is an increase in cavities and tooth decay. Smoking causes the enamel on the teeth to soften and it is easier for cavities to develop. If you use chewing tobacco, you are literally destroying your teeth. Chewing tobacco contains sugar, which will be pushed into the enamel of the teeth as you chew on it.

Depending upon your dental insurance company, you may not even qualify for coverage if you are a smoker. People that smoke tend to visit the dentist frequently for teeth cleanings and to have their teeth whitened. Smoking causes the teeth to yellow and to stain and this looks horribly un-attractive. If you are trying to get a job promotion, you'd better take a look at your smile because it makes the first impression upon people. Most dentists will work on people that smoke, but they do have the right to refer you to a different provider.

Smoking really does do more damage to your body than you may think. The cost of a single root canal is about $800 plus $500-$700 for a crown. The sad part for many smokers is that they will need to have a couple root canals because they destroyed their teeth from smoking. Simply brushing and flossing won't be enough to save your teeth if you are smoking.

Most dentists will recommend using a stronger toothpaste like Prevident if you are a smoker. Prevident is only available with a prescription from your dentist. It contains fluoride and other ingredients that help to protect the teeth from dental caries and other problems. As far as the bad breath goes, you will need to use a stronger mouthwash. The mouthwash may not be enough to prevent your bad breath; the only thing you can do to fix it is to give up smoking.

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