It is a common saying, ‘Smoking is injurious to health.’ Smoking is indeed horrible for your teeth and dental health. It may cause both cosmetic damage and further serious problems such as potential tooth loss, mouth cancer and gum disease. This post discusses what smoker’s teeth is, what smoking may do to your teeth and dental health, how to treat oral problems and why smokers should try to quit smoking.
The effects of smoking are quite apparent on the smokers’ teeth. The color of teeth may become yellow and in some cases, solid brown. This stained appearance has higher chances of bad breath or halitosis due to the build-up of bacterial plaque.
The by-products of smoking have a great effect on your confidence level. Anyone who has stained teeth is aware that they have bad breath and try to smile less in public places. These problems require proper dental treatment and cut back on smoking though they can be signs of further serious damage.
Long term damage to your teeth due to smoking
Bad breath and stained teeth can be treated by dental professionals but smoker’s teeth may be a sign of serious health concerns. Smoking increases the risk of developing gum disease or periodontists that may cause erosion of the bone. This makes your teeth become loose and potentially lead to tooth loss. Periodontists has been linked with various serious conditions such as – diabetes, pregnancy problems and increased risk of stroke.
Smoking also lessens the success rate of restorative surgery like implants that add to the healing time for any dental work due to blood vessels being damaged by smoking. Smoking is also a major factor for mouth cancer. According to statistics, almost 90% of cancers affect your lips, tongue or mouth if the patient is a smoker or consumes tobacco.
Treatments for smoker’s teeth
Increased risk of gum disease
Anyone who smokes one pack daily have six times the chances of getting gum disease when compared to non-smokers. If you smoke half packet in a day, then this lessens the risk by three times and halves the risks as compared to heavy smoking.
People who continue with cigarettes even after the first treatment for mouth cancer have 37% chance of getting back cancer. Individuals who quit permanently have one sixth of the risks of getting cancer.
Smoking damages your dental health as well as your overall condition. There isn’t any treatment that will reverse all side effects of smoking and keep your mouth healthy. Mouthwashes and toothpastes have short-term effect, however the accumulation of plaque will continue and risk of serious conditions might develop.
There are over the counter treatments available for cosmetic purposes, but it is necessary to visit a dentist at Smile 4 U Dental in Croydon as there might be underlying damage that should be treated before performing whitening or cosmetic treatment.
What to do if your gums do not bleed
Most smokers do not know that they are suffering from gum disease. Common signs include – bleeding gums at the time of brushing, however many smokers find their gums do not bleed and think they have healthy gums.
Smoking decreases the flow of blood flow to the gums and they do not bleed as blood circulation is less though you may have gum disease. With tooth cavities, the smoker might face several potential dental problems that should be checked on time.
Ensure complete peace of mind
By going for routine checkups, any signs of gum disease and cancer can be detected early. If you have any existing dental problems, then this should be treated soon. Whether it is filling cavities, using gum graft procedure to cover tooth root teeth or extracting loose teeth and replacing an implant, it is advised to see your dentist in Croydon without delay.
The objective of getting your teeth whitened should be discussed with the dentist as this might differ from one patient to the other. Seeing a dental hygienist is the right option or you can also use specialist toothpastes for your brighter and whiter teeth.
Quit smoking for your healthy teeth
The risks associated with smoking will remain and how often you may see the dentist and hygienist, it can help in dealing with severe oral complications. Smoking increases the risk of developing serious conditions and damages your teeth.
Your oral health will improve as soon as you quit smoking. Thus, if you are thinking to quit, the dentist can help with proper medications to say goodbye to cigarettes. You can also switch over to e-cigarettes or other alternatives that have their own health risks.
Hopefully you will have whiter and brighter teeth, better breath with lesser chance of developing mouth cancer and gum disease.