Smoking: A Real Drag On Your Oral Health

Few things are more detrimental to your oral health than smoking and the use of tobacco products. Lung cancer and serious breathing conditions are specifically associated with smoking. Another serious concern that is often overlooked until it becomes a major problem is the oral health destruction caused by tobacco usage. The devastation caused by smoking and tobacco can pose such serious effects that the mouth can never recover.

Periodontal disease and oral cancer are the two most devastating effects caused by tobacco usage. With continued use of tobacco, these conditions have the ability to destroy your oral health and also compromise the health of your entire body.

Gum disease is a serious dental concern because of how rapidly it can go from mild to severe. Gingivitis is the earliest form of gum disease, starting as red, swollen, and tender gums. In its earliest stage, gingivitis is treatable and its effects are reversible with treatment. However, gum disease that is allowed to progress will become so significantly severe that it will threaten the health of the entire mouth. Periodontal disease is the severe infection of the gums that surround and support the teeth. Once the gums reach the point of severe infection, the teeth lose the strength that is holding them in place. They will become loose and eventually fall out unless extensive, and expensive, dental intervention is performed. Smoking causes the soft tissues inside the mouth to become irritated and vulnerable to infection. Smoking is one of the leading causes of periodontal disease.

Oral cancer is also directly related to smoking and the use of tobacco products. With every drag on a cigarette or cigar or with every wad of chew put into your mouth, a negative reaction occurs with the soft tissues. Tobacco causes the gums, cheeks, tongue, and any other soft tissues to become irritated. Tobacco also kills antibodies inside the mouth that are meant to be fighting off toxins. When the antibodies cannot do their job, the immune system is compromised, leaving you extremely vulnerable to severe health complications like oral cancer.

At Peninsula Dentistry, we understand that an addiction to tobacco can be hard to break. Yet we also understand how continued use of tobacco can cause detrimental effects to your oral health. Contact us today to learn how you can overcome the damage that tobacco has caused to your oral health. We are here for you.