Smoking is not a particularly healthy habit; among a range of other negative health issues it can also leave a lasting impression on your teeth. If you’re a habitual smoker, here are a few reasons why you should maybe consider giving up cigarettes for a little while.
How It Affects Your Mouth
Regularly sparking up a ciggie may help relieve your stress levels for a while, but if left alone this habit can lead to you encountering the following lovely side effects.
You will likely see some staining of the teeth that can leave your smile looking pretty bad for photos and the only way to get rid of it is with a whitening kit either at home or in a Mackay Dentist practice. This can get pretty costly if you have to use it multiple times to keep your teeth white whilst smoking.
Then there’s the fact that regularly smoking can cause an increased build-up of plaque and tartar on your teeth. Also, if you’re a habitual smoker you’re more at risk of salivary gland inflammation, which can lead to infection and blockages of normal saliva production. Not having enough saliva means your mouth dries out which causes damage to your gums.
How It Affects Your Gums
Smoking’s biggest impact in your mouth is on the gums and below the gum line.
Smokers are more at risk of Leukoplakia, which are white patches that can develop inside your mouth. If you smoke, you’re also more at risk of gum disease and over time the loss of teeth. You also will see an increased loss of bone within the jaw, which can also cause patients with dental implants to run the risk of their implanted tooth falling out.
Another negative impact you will run into is a delay in your ability to heal after dental treatments or surgeries. It may take a lot longer for these to heal properly as they run a much higher risk of becoming infected.
There’s also an increased chance of developing oral cancer, you can catch this with regular visits at a practice like Northern Beaches Dental in Mackay for checks, but it’s not something you want to run the risk of developing in the first place.
Steps You Can Take
This all may seem a bit doom and gloom, but there are some steps you can take that any Dentist in Mackay will recommend to help with these problems.
First,quit the cigarettes as they’re the main cause of this. If you’re struggling to quite there are plenty of support groups available as well as alternatives to lighting one up. Improving your oral hygiene routine is another good step, introduce floss and mouthwash if you can. Finally, attend regular check-ups at your dental practice to keep an eye on your teeth and their health.
So, as you can see, there are a lot of problems that can crop up with your teeth from smoking. If you’re a smoker then why not ask at your local practice to see what they can do to help you quit.
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