How Does Smoking Affect Oral Health?

Smoking can cause a number of serious oral health issues. The habit can directly contribute to gum disease, as well as increase a patient's risk for oral cancer. By harming the body's ability to naturally heal itself, smokers have a much higher risk of developing tooth decay and tooth loss. Cigarette smoke also contains a large amount of sugar, which can increase a patient's risk of cavities. Nicotine also causes the blood vessels to constrict, slowing down blood flow to the gums and making patients more susceptible to oral infections such as gingivitis.

Women and men who smoke are up to three times more likely to lose teeth than non-smokers. Smokers can also experience a number of other dental problems that arise from their unhealthy lifestyle habits, including stained teeth and bad breath.

How Are Smoking and Gum Disease Related?

For patients who smoke, the risk of periodontal disease is higher than for those who don't smoke and suffer from other oral issues, such as bad breath. The reason that tobacco is so dangerous for your oral health has to do with how it affects your immune system. When you smoke a cigarette, it decreases your immunity so that your body isn't able to fight off bacteria as easily. This means that smokers are more likely to develop serious infections like periodontitis.

It also increases the likelihood that you will develop chronic inflammatory conditions in your mouth, such as gingivitis or periodontitis. In addition, smoking can also increase the risk of developing oral cancers since tobacco products contain many carcinogens.

When compared with non-smokers, those who smoke cigarettes are more likely to have delayed healing after periodontal treatment. They also have an increased risk of developing painful symptoms of periodontitis and may be more likely to need root canal therapy to treat the condition.

While quitting smoking can be difficult, the long-term benefits of doing so in order to improve your health are well worth it. Talk to your dentist about the best ways to quit so that you can protect your oral health in the long run.

How Smoking Affects Tooth Discoloration and Staining?

Smokers can experience discolored or stained teeth from the effects of nicotine, tar, and other chemicals that are in cigarettes. Cigarette smokers also tend to show signs of gum disease more often than non-smokers. This is because the chemicals found in tobacco can irritate the gums, causing the gums to recede. This exposes more of the tooth's root structure, which can become prone to decay. Stained or discolored teeth can be covered with cosmetic dentistry procedures like teeth whitening, veneers, bonding, and more. 

To find out more about the dental services offered by our dentist in Albuquerque, NM, call (505)-293-7611 or schedule an online consultation. You can also visit us at 4830 Juan Tabo Blvd. NE, Ste. K, Albuquerque, NM, 87111.