Smoking is a dangerous addiction that just starts out as a habit. Surveys show that 15 out of every 100 adults in the US are smokers. This means that over 36.5 million Americans have smoked or are currently smoking. About 16 million of these have contracted a smoking related disease. A great portion of these diseases is dental problems, which is why it is essential to understand the effects of tobacco-consumption on dental health.
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- Bad breath: The first and foremost effect of smoking is bad breath. Let’s face it. Smoke and tar don’t really smell like flowers. Whether you’re at home or at the office, the people around you won’t exactly appreciate the fact you smell like a depleted coal mine. My advice: Carry some breath mints with you so you don’t repel that girl you’ve wanted to talk to for so long.
- Teeth discoloration: Unless they’ve started manufacturing fluoride cigarettes, smoking does little to maintain the whiteness in your teeth. Cigarette smoke contains several pollutant deposits that can cause that yellowish tinge on your teeth. You won’t smile that often with discolored teeth.
- Plaque buildup and tartar: Plaque is perhaps the root cause of every dental problem that we have ever come across. Plaque is the doorway that invites parasitic bacteria, which is deposited on the surface of the teeth and devours the enamel coating on the teeth. This erosion of the outer enamel gives rise to several oral health complications such as halitosis, gingivitis and cavities. Cavities need to be filled in order to prevent the manifestation of a number of other dental conditions, including sensitivity and nerve damage.
- Gum Disease: Particles from cigarette smoke can penetrate your gums and attack the joint where the bone meets the soft tissue of the teeth, thus interfering with the normal functioning of your gums. This hindrance can lead to multiple problems including an infection or abscess in the jaw as a result of an infection in the roots of the teeth. Apart from this, impaired blood flow to the gums adversely affects the healing potential in the case of an injury. Perpetual gum disease can cause tooth loss too.
- Increased risk of Leukoplakia: Leukoplakia is the manifestation of white or gray patches in the mouth – the tongue, inside of the cheeks and underneath the tongue. These patches have also been observed in female genital areas (unknown cause). The patches develop as part of the mouth’s reaction towards persistent irritation in the mucous membranes. As if the plaque wasn’t enough.
- Oral cancer: The chances of developing oral cancer greatly increase if you are a smoker. Smokers are six times more susceptible to contracting mouth cancer as well as tongue, lips, and throat cancer.
All these, plus an increased chance of failure of dental treatment are advisory complaints. Kick the habit and stop endangering yourself. For dental treatment, contact us today to schedule an appointment with the best Dentist in New York.