10

Oct

Most of us are aware that smoking has detrimental effects on our wellbeing, but are you aware that it is also a leading contributor to a variety of dental issues? Cigarettes are not the only ones to blame. All types of tobacco, such as cigars, hookah water pipes, or smokeless tobacco, pose oral health risks. Furthermore, smoking has a negative effect on your perception of taste. Smoking could also weaken the immune system, exposing you to the risk of suffering gum disease and contributing to oral cancer. This blog delves deeper into the reasons why smoking is harmful to your teeth.

Tooth Discoloration

Most individuals are aware that smoking can quickly turn dazzling whites into not-so-whites. Even if you don't smoke a pack a day, regular smoking can cause your teeth to turn brown or yellow instead of remaining white. Smokers are more likely to notice tooth discoloration the more they smoke. Your smoking habits, including how much you smoke and how often you use tobacco products or smoke, will all affect how stained your teeth become. In this case, your dentist can help you with tooth whitening.

Abscesses

Untreated gum disease or tooth decay can lead to the development of a tooth abscess. This develops when pus accumulates inside your teeth or gums. Pus could form when the body tries to fight a bacterial infection. When pus cannot drain, it develops an abscess. Abscessed teeth require quick medical attention from a professional dentist since the infection could spread to other regions of your body.

Tooth Decay

Smoking can cause substantial damage to your mouth, even though most individuals relate it to gum disease and oral cancer. While these are crucial, few individuals relate smoking to the type of tooth decay that dentists frequently see in their clients. Large cavities along the gum line could result in infections and fragile teeth in the future, which can result in breakage. A broken tooth would need to be fixed, which may be expensive and, oftentimes, painful.

Oral Cancer

Chewing tobacco, pipes, cigarettes, and other smoking products are classified as highly carcinogenic. The compounds contained in these items have been linked to a variety of malignancies, such as oral cancer. The Oral Cancer Foundation estimates that tobacco smoke contains over 7,000 compounds, including more than 70 recognized carcinogens. Oral cancer is particularly risky since, in most cases, people who suffer from it are not aware of the illness in its initial stages because it doesn't cause unpleasant side effects until the tumor has spread. In the past, more than 75% of adults over 50 who developed oral cancer smoked tobacco regularly at some point in their lives. Oral cancer manifests itself in a variety of ways, including bleeding, unexplained bumps, pain, swelling, difficulty swallowing, and numbness.

Periodontal Disease

Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, is essentially a bacterial infection that develops in your mouth. This infection affects the gums over time. Periodontal disease will most likely be visible at first if you have a sore mouth, bleeding gums, or red gums that get easily inflamed. Periodontal disease could also cause receding gums in some circumstances. While the initial stages of gum disease can sometimes be reversed by visiting a dental professional, long-term smoking can exacerbate the situation.

Calculus Growth

Smokers are more likely than non-smokers to develop dental calculus, develop wider pockets between their teeth and gums, and lose more of the bone and tissue that supports their teeth. If a dentist does not remove calculus using professional teeth cleaning, it will remain below the gum line. As a result of the gum tissue damage caused by the bacteria in the calculus, the gums could begin to pull away from the teeth and develop bacterial-filled pockets. This condition is known as periodontal disease, which would worsen if not treated. Pockets between the teeth and gums might deepen, allowing more bacteria to enter and destroy the tissues and the supporting bone.

Bone Damage

If gum disease is allowed to progress for an extended length of time, the infections could spread into bone and tissue, making them weaker. If gum disease is left untreated and the infections are never attended to, bone damage will eventually occur. In severe situations, gum disease could worsen, making surgical treatment necessary to cope with damaged bones. In these circumstances, restorative surgery and bone grafts are often required.

Tooth Loss

It normally doesn't take long for tooth loss to follow periodontal disease after it has taken root in the mouth. This is because when the gums deteriorate, they will do less to keep the teeth in place. A simple tooth extraction performed correctly by a dentist could help make it easier to cope with tooth loss. Periodontal disease is often associated with a higher rate of deterioration due to infections.

How Smoking Affects Tooth Loss

If you are a regular smoker, you have a lower probability of retaining your natural teeth for a variety of reasons.

  • The Healing Process Is Delayed

Smoking lowers the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream. It's critical to note that oxygen is essential for the healing processes of the body. When a chronic smoker suffers from dental disorders or oral disease that requires a surgical operation like dental implants, tooth extractions, and root canals, to name a few, he or she would recuperate slowly and have a prolonged time to recover. A chronic smoker is also more likely to get an infection since your gums have not fully recovered.

  • Increased Risk of Gum Disease

Smoking largely contributes to gum disease, which is a leading cause of adult tooth loss. Gum disease develops faster in regular smokers. Due to this, chronic smokers are more likely to lose their teeth and have a lower success rate with dental implant treatments than nonsmokers.

  • Development of Gum Disease

Whether you're a smoker or not, it's vital to note that periodontitis begins with bacterial development in the mouth. Some individuals are genetically vulnerable to periodontitis, but smoking increases the odds since you are introducing bacteria daily. As you smoke, bacteria increases as plaque build-up. The gums get easily inflamed, and you could detect more blood in your saliva or on the toothbrush when you're brushing your teeth.

This is the beginning of gingivitis, which is a common gum infection. When gingivitis is not properly treated, it can lead to periodontitis. Periodontitis causes the gum's inner layer and bone to detach from the teeth. After that, pockets are formed between the gums and teeth. Bacteria, coupled with debris, begin to accumulate in those pockets as the infection spreads.

For nonsmokers, the immune system goes to full strength to fight the infections. However, a smoker's immune system is weakened, which makes it possible for the infections to spread and develop below the gum line. At this stage, everything that keeps and holds the teeth in place, from the connective tissues to the bones, will suffer. Toxins produced by the bacteria tear down the connective tissue and the bone.

At this stage, you would notice some loose teeth as the tissues and bones are gradually damaged. Since the teeth lack an anchor to hold them firmly in place, they often start to come out. Cigarettes are considered a "smoking gun" for tooth loss. They don't cause tooth decay but affect everything that anchors the teeth to the jaw. Your body's immune system is weakened, making it impossible to fight infections that cause this erosion.

Symptoms of Periodontitis

If you are a regular smoker, you should be aware of the symptoms of periodontitis.

  • Excessive blood when brushing your teeth
  • Gums separate from teeth
  • Chewing is painful
  • Loose teeth
  • Teeth sensitivity
  • Gums that are swollen and red

It's critical to be alert for any of these signs and to consult your dentist as soon as they appear.

Seeking Dental Assistance

Most of the problems associated with smoking can be prevented or fixed regardless of the state of your teeth at that moment. Polishing, cleaning, and whitening methods can often be used to remove discoloration. Root canals, fillings, and even crowns can be used to treat decay, and periodontitis is normally reversible with extensive cleaning, also known as root planing and scaling.

If you have lost teeth or are on the verge of losing them, your dentist would be able to salvage them and consult with you to come up with a plan that will allow you to enjoy showing off your smile once again. Quitting smoking can be challenging, but once you do it, you'll be pleased with the outcome. There's no need to hide a smile solely because you've smoked before.

How a Dentist Can Help

Regular dental appointments at your dentist's office are essential for keeping your teeth and gums healthy. It's recommended to schedule a dental appointment every 6 months. Between these sessions, you must continue to focus on keeping your teeth and gums clean and healthy. Depending on the state of your dental health, your dentist might recommend more frequent checkups.

Screening your teeth for tooth decay is one aspect of a comprehensive dental exam. During your appointment, your dentist will review the condition of your gums, assess your head and neck for anything unusual, and examine the mouth for symptoms of oral cancer. Your dentist will mainly focus on plaque and tartar, which tend to accumulate quickly if you fail to practice basic oral hygiene between dental appointments. If soft plaque is not removed, it might result in the following problems.

  • Build up: Your teeth may develop a hardened layer of plaque.
  • Irritate the gum tissues: Plaque can create toxins.
  • Causes gum disease: Advanced periodontitis can result in bleeding gums, painful chewing issues, and even tooth loss.

A professional dentist cares about more than just looking at and treating your teeth. Your dentist would also want to make sure your teeth and gums are healthy, clean your teeth professionally, and screen for any problems that would go undetected and lead to severe dental health complications. A professional dentist will partner with you to eliminate any bad habits that are affecting your oral health.

Missing dental appointments may not appear to be a huge deal. However, oral issues could develop and spread faster whether you notice them or not. If you are considering skipping a dentist appointment due to time, dental anxiety, cost, or any other reason, be sure to weigh all of the risks. Not keeping tabs on your dental checkups may cost you both your health and your wallet in the long run.

How to Quit Smoking

Quitting is challenging and should not be taken lightly. To quit smoking, you need a solid plan, some options, and a lot of help from your friends and loved ones.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy

It's still unknown whether vaping or E-cigarettes are safe substitutes for traditional cigarettes. Although these methods eliminate the nicotine hazard, medical experts are unsure if they have any other health consequences. Other options include treatments, patches, or lozenges.

Cold Turkey Method

If you possess a strong support system and believe you can handle the withdrawal symptoms, quitting smoking could be a viable alternative for you.

Trigger Aversion

This involves avoiding anything that could be a smoking trigger. It could be eating certain meals, drinking, or attending social activities. Whatever the cause, avoid it until you're confident that you can deal with it.

Frequently Asked Questions About Smoking's Effects on Teeth

The following are some of the most frequently asked questions about the effects of smoking on oral health:

Are E-Cigarettes Healthier For Your Teeth?

Since e-cigarettes don't contain tobacco, many people assume that vaping is healthier for their oral health. Despite not producing smoke, e-cigarettes still release nicotine-containing vapor. Additionally, e-cigarettes still consist of heavy metals and additional chemicals that are harmful to the teeth and body, although in smaller amounts than cigarettes. The nicotine contained in this product can cause gum tissue to deteriorate and saliva production to decrease, leading to tooth loss, receding gums, and bad breath.

Do Tooth Whitening Products Work?

Brushing teeth more often can help to remove and prevent smoke stains, but toothpaste may not be effective against serious discoloration or stains. In this situation, you'll most likely require an over-the-counter teeth whitener. These involve whitening gels or strips with whitening chemicals applied to your teeth in dental sessions.

Over-the-counter solutions can help get rid of stains beneath the surface of the teeth and improve their appearance. However, you shouldn't expect these solutions to whiten your teeth. Based on the extent of the staining, you would require expert teeth whiteners to get rid of stains on your teeth.

This could involve a tailored at-home teeth whitening solution, in-office teeth whitening treatment, or both for more effective removal of stains. Even though professional teeth whiteners remove stains, the outcome will not last for long if you're still smoking. Treatments might have to be repeated annually.

How Can I Get Smoke Stains Out of My Teeth?

Tobacco smoke contains tar and nicotine, which can cause discolored or yellow teeth. Brushing teeth multiple times daily is an option to improve the teeth's appearance. In addition to preventing stains, this method also guards against periodontitis. It's also a good idea for smokers to use toothpaste that's specifically designed to deal with tooth discoloration. These kinds of toothpaste contain special ingredients that help to reduce discoloration. Keep an eye out for these ingredients:

  • Hydrogen peroxide
  • Baking soda
  • Activated charcoal
  • Turmeric
  • Coconut oil

You could also whiten your teeth with homemade toothpaste. However, be cautious not to handle hydrogen peroxide solutions that are overly concentrated. You could end up damaging your teeth.

Does Tobacco Chewing Affect the Teeth?

Smokeless tobacco, usually referred to as chewing tobacco or snuff, is a major factor in pancreatic, oral, lip, and tongue cancers. Snuff, like cigarettes, has at least 28 carcinogenic compounds and could cause several problems, including:

  • Increased risks of tooth decay due to sugar that is often used to boost the flavor of smokeless tobacco
  • Increased risks of cancer of the esophagus, bladder, colon, and voice box due to ingesting toxins in the juice produced by chewing
  • Enamel erosion and tooth sensitivity are caused by grit and sand from smokeless tobacco eroding teeth
  • Gum tissue irritation, which could lead to periodontal disease

Find a Whittier Dentist Near Me

If you smoke, you can start by acknowledging that tobacco dependency is an addictive disorder. To overcome the habit, it is necessary to address all elements of nicotine addiction, including both the physiological and psychological ones. Smokers should often make multiple attempts to quit before they can succeed, but you don't have to do it all alone. If you are a chronic smoker, you can consult with our experts at The Whittier Dentist to develop a strategy that will help you quit smoking for good. We take pride in offering our clients the most compassionate and courteous dental care services. Schedule an appointment with our professionals in Whittier, CA at 562-632-1223 for more information or assistance in restoring your smile from the harm caused by smoking.