Smoking And Teeth

Posted on January 16, 2008 in Latest News

“Smoking is hazardous to health.” Most of us are aware of this fact. But many do not know that smoking can adversely affect the teeth. Discover how smoking poses dental problems.

Most people argue that genetic predisposition causes dental problems. In reality, smoking also can significantly affect your teeth. Following are some of the effects of smoking on dental health:

Smoking leads to discoloration of the teeth. Smoking reduces the flow of saliva which cleanses the lining of the mouth and teeth. Saliva also protects the teeth from getting decayed. So, when the amount of saliva gets decreased due to smoking, teeth gets discolored.
Brown tooth stains are observed on the teeth. Nicotine and tar, the major ingredients of cigarettes stains the teeth. Sticky tar gets deposited on the teeth.
The roof the mouth becomes inflamed, and turns red in color.
Infected gums get delayed in healing. Blood flow to the gums is restricted due to smoking. Smoking also diminishes the supply of vital nutrients to the gums. It reduces Vitamin C, which helps the gums to stay healthy. A reduced blood flow and Vitamin C, together delay the treatment of gum diseases in smokers.
Smoking causes chronic bad breath.
Smoking is also found to cause loss of teeth.

Effects of Smoking on Teeth

Periodontal Disease
Periodontal disease occurs when the soft tissue and bone that anchors the jawbones are destroyed due to bacterial infection.

The early stages of the periodontal disease are characterized by bleeding gums. With the infection getting worse the teeth breaks down and pulls away from the gums. Pockets are formed due to this. And, when the supporting structures are destroyed the pockets between the teeth and gums deepen. Ultimately the teeth loose and then fall out.

Gum Diseases and Loss of Teeth

Smoking affects the immune system of the body. It weakens the capability of the body to fight against infections. Dental researchers at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, confirm the fact that smokers are less-equipped to fight back against infections. They have the risk (6 times) to develop gum diseases than the non-smokers.

Gum diseases are manifested by swelling gums. Gum diseases lessen the formation of strong teeth and augment the problem of loss of teeth.

Plaque

Bacteria get accumulated in plaque (the gluey white material that builds up whenever we do not brush up properly) due to smoking. These bacteria grow within the gum area and cause inflamed gum. The bacteria also affect the jaw. This eventually speeds up the loss of teeth.

Treatment of Dental Problems

To protect yourself from all these types of dental problems, health experts advise to quit smoking. Without giving up smoking any kind of treatment for the dental problems will go in vain.
Practice and improve a proper dental hygiene like regular brushing and flossing. This will prevent the repetition of dental problems.
Visit a dentist for the treatment of dental problems. On the dentist’s advice, go for medications.
It is advised for smokers to go for professional cleaning (scaling and polishing) for the removal of the stains. Visiting a dentist for teeth cleaning, every 6 months, is highly beneficial.
Drinking at least 10 glasses of water helps in flossing away the toxins.

Teeth loss can impact your life to a great extent. Along with your confidence, your appearance and lifestyle will also be affected. Hence, quit smoking and enjoy the smooth and fresh feeling of clean teeth.

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One Response to “Smoking And Teeth”

Leah Ford Says:
February 6th, 2008 at 3:16 am
I thank you for this message on smoking and dental health. I found it to be very encouraging and inspirational.

Leah Ford

Smoking And Teeth

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One Response to “Smoking And Teeth”

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