How Smoking Affects Your Teeth

Tobacco causes damage to your teeth in a number of ways. Cigarettes lessen your mouth’s ability to block infections, so you won’t be able to efficiently fight against the bacteria caused by smoking, leading to plaque and bacteria buildup.
An increased amount of plaque and bacteria can cause a many oral health problems:

Tooth Staining

Stained or yellow teeth is a clear sign that indicates someone is a smoker. The chemicals in tobacco will stick to your teeth’s enamel, causing discoloration in time. Teeth whitening treatments can help to slow down the staining, but if smoking is continued, it can not be stopped or reversed.

Bad Breath

Cigarette particles remain in the mouth long after a cigarette is finished, which causes foul smelling cigarette breath. Besides this, the longer-term effects of smoking can also cause foul breath. The overgrowth of bacteria in the smoker’s mouth will cause very bad breath.
Unfortunately, even a lot of brushing or using mouthwash will not get rid of the smell because it is caused by gum disease, oral sores, and/or tooth decay. The best cure is to stop smoking completely and talk to your dentist about treating the oral health issues it has caused.

Gum Disease

Studies have revealed that smokers are twice as likely to get gum disease in comparison to nonsmokers. Each cigarette you smoke adds to this risk, and gum disease treatments co not work as well on smokers.
This is because smoking lessens your mouth’s ability to stop bacteria from developing, so the bacteria can build on teeth and eventually start harming the gums. If left untreated, gums can start to retract away from the teeth, causing the underlying bone structures to weaken. Periodontitis is the most severe form of gum disease, this occurs when the bone and tissue holding the teeth in position begin to deteriorate, leading to tooth loss or extraction.

Delayed Healing

Smoking also reduces your body’s recovery ability. It will also decrease the expected success of receiving dental implants. A dentist can assist with this as much as possible, but the treatment plans can not work effectively if the patient keeps smoking.

Oral Cancer

Oral cancer is the most serious form of smoking-related oral health issues. Oral cancer will begin as a white or red spot in the mouth accompanied by difficulty chewing or swallowing, jaw numbness, and even earaches. These symptoms definitely have other causes, but the sooner cancer is detected, the more effectively it can be treated.

Call today, or find out more about how we can help you achieve healthier teeth and gums.