Posted on 12/7/2020 by Amir Sanjabi, DDS
When you are addicted to cigarettes, it can wreak havoc on your dental health and well as all aspects of your life. Still, you may wonder how much damage can be done orally if you smoke. The following information will give your reasons to quit the habit so you can enjoy better health overall.
Why Smoking Is Bad For The Gums And Teeth
If you want to avoid a large number of dental problems, it helps to stop using tobacco products or to quit smoking. Smoking is a habit that makes it hard to maintain an oral health routine that is designed to reduce the risk of infection and severe gum disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, smoking weakens the immune system, which makes it difficult for your body to ward off infections. Moreover, once smoking damages the gums, the habit also makes it harder for the gums to heal. Therefore, one of the best things you can do for your oral health and your health overall is to quit the nicotine habit.
How Is My Oral Health Impacted If I Smoke?
The CDC goes on to add that smoking doubles the risk of gum disease for smokers over their non-smoking peers. Therefore, the more cigarettes you smoke, you heighten the risk of getting gum disease. This is true, as well, if you have smoked a long time. Once you do get gum disease, the treatments may not work as well for you as they do for a non-smoker. Regardless of how you use tobacco- smoking cigarettes or chewing smokeless tobacco- your risk for gum disease is great. Also, smoking stains the teeth, which makes it harder for you to keep them clean. Again, the best way to prevent problems with gum disease and stains is to decide to stop smoking.
We can help you if you have gum disease. If the problem is severe, we can perform root scaling and planing. We can also perform surgery to remove tartar beneath the gums. If you need to have your gums checked or treated, give us a call now. Or, if you have not had a dental cleaning lately, give us a call and schedule an appointment that includes a consultation and exam.