Stub it Out for Your Oral Health
According to data from the New Zealand Health Survey 2020/2021, 10.9% of the population smoke daily. To put that figure into context, that’s around 451,000 adults. It is well documented and publicised how smoking significantly harms your health, but what is less commonly known is how is affects your oral health and the impact this can have on your life.
At our dental clinics in Christchurch, some of our patients undergo avoidable dental treatment due to their current or past smoking habit. Through quality dental care, Duxton Dental provides great improvement and remedy, but as always, prevention is better than cure.
How smoking affects your oral health
This list is not intended to scare you, rather it is to help you understand the gravity of how smoking impairs your oral health so you can take positive action. Your mouth is a fragile eco-system, and anything you consume or put in it disrupts the effectiveness of its natural defences.
Bad breath
Not only does cigarette smoke linger in your throat and lungs causing an odour, but smoking reduces saliva production. Saliva is important for oral health; it prevents gum disease and tooth decay. It also lessens the opportunity for damaging bacteria to thrive and contains minerals and proteins to strengthen tooth enamel. Tooth decay emits an odour.
Stained teeth
While nicotine is colourless, when it combines with oxygen it turns yellow. Enamel is porous and tartar even more so – this is why smokers and vapers often have a brown line near the gum line. Stained and yellowing teeth negatively impact the confidence of patients in both work and social situations. Lives are dramatically transformed when stained teeth are remedied.
Receding gums
The chemical agents within tobacco products stick to the teeth and gums causing tartar to form which eventually ‘eats away’ at the gum line causing receding gums. While the teeth look bigger which can be disarming, it is the root exposure and visible threat of potentially losing teeth that causes patients’ distress.
Gum disease
The chemical compounds in tobacco products actively encourage the development of tartar and plaque. Not only are you at heightened risk of developing cavities, but gum disease too. If you are a smoker, you are twice as likely to experience gum disease as a non-smoker. Smoking weakens your immune system and compromises your natural ability to fight infection. Untreated gum disease leads to tooth loss which impacts the structure of your face.
Mouth ulcers and sores
Mouth ulcers and sores are more prevalent amongst smokers and can develop into tobacco stomatitis – inflammation of the roof of your mouth. It’s painful to eat, drink and talk when your mouth is so sore and can trigger other health issues.
Oral Cancer
The repeated exposure to harmful chemicals in such a sensitive part of your body causes the healthy cells in your mouth and throat to mutate and can develop into oral cancer.
If you are a smoker, the harm smoking does to your body can feel abstract. Afterall, you can’t see the internal damage it is causing. When smoking affects your oral health and physical appearance, the reality often hits home. Whether you seek professional Botox to lessen your smoker’s mouth or general advice about the steps you need to take to improve your oral hygiene, call us.
Unfortunately, it’s not a matter of how long will it take for smoking to impact your teeth and oral health, but when. At Duxton Dental we are here to support you on every step of your journey. Contact us today to make your appointment, and we’ll help you smile again.
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