Effects of Smoking on Your Mouth

Payson, Scottsdale and Phoenix, Arizona

If the links between tobacco and strokes, heart disease, cancer; and emphysema don’t stop you from using tobacco, then think of the other problems that come along with it, like:

Tooth discoloration
Gum disease
Age spots
Wrinkles
Headaches
Bad breath
Bone loss
Tooth loss; and even
Loss of hair.

When you smoke, you reduce blood flow and the supply of vital nutrients to your gums. Without the proper nutrients you can develop gum disease, bone loss and tooth loss. Smoking also helps accumulate plaque and bacteria which further increases too damage.

Smoking also reduces the amount of saliva in your mouth. Saliva is important because it protects us from tooth decay and loss. Please see our page on Dry Mouth for more information.

A dry mouth may also cause bad breath. When you are a smoker the temperature in your mouth is increased and because of this, you’re killing off those important cells in your mouth, the ones that repair and maintain your healthy smile.

Are Smokeless Tobacco Products Safer?

No, smokeless tobacco products are not safer – they are not safe at all. They typically contain at least 28 chemicals, all of which have been proven to increase the risk of oral cancer and cancer of the throat and esophagus.

Chewing tobacco has more nicotine than cigarettes, which makes it more addictive than cigarettes. One can of chewing tobacco gives you more nicotine than 60 or more cigarettes.
Smokeless tobacco can irritate the gums and cause it to recede from the teeth. This exposes the teeth roots, which increases your risk of decay. It also gives you increased sensitivity to hot and cold substances in the mouth.

Are Pipe and Cigar Smokers at less Risk?

Apparently not. The Journal of the American Dental Association published the results of a 23-year study on pipe, cigar, and cigarette smoking effects. The researchers found that incidence of tooth loss and bone loss (in the jawbone) is the same among both cigar and cigarette smokers and that pipe smokers have similar tooth loss rates.

They also found that oral and throat cancer risks are the same in all categories, regardless of whether the person inhales or not.

Kick the Habit Now

Even if you have used tobacco products for your entire adult life (or longer), you will greatly improve your health prospects if you quit now. Studies have found that eleven years after quitting, a smoker’s chances of developing gum disease are not significantly higher than those of any non-smoker.

Statistics offered by the American Cancer Society give good reasons to quit:

Of people who have cancer of the lips, mouth, tongue or throat, about 90 percent use tobacco. If you are a smoker, you are six times more likely to develop these cancers, and the longer you have used tobacco, the more likely you are to develop them.
If you are a smoker who develops any of these cancers, obtains successful treatment, and then reverts to tobacco use again, you are more likely to have a cancer recurrence. Studies have found that 37% of such people have recurring cancer, compared to six percent of those who do not revert to tobacco use.

Help With Quitting

You need not be alone in your struggle.

You can obtain a prescription for medication such as Zyban, nicotine gum, or nicotine patches from your physician and they can help greatly to calm cravings. Some are available over the counter.
Classes and support groups are offered by many organizations such as hospitals, health insurance companies and employers. You can attend join such groups as well as using a medication. We can give you information about groups in Scottsdale, Phoenix and Payson.
Herbal remedies are widely available in supermarkets and health food or vitamin stores.
Hypnosis has helped many people abandon their nicotine habit.
Acupuncture can also be successful in reducing your craving.

Once you have taken steps toward quitting, it is important to improve your dental hygiene with regular brushing, flossing and trips to the dentist. Please see our pages on Advanced Hygiene and Periodontal Therapy for more information.