Smoking Affecting Your Teeth

Smoking and oral cancer are closely linked. Smoking cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and chewing tobacco can all increase your risk of developing oral cancer. In fact, if you smoke cigarettes or use other forms of tobacco, you are 30 times more likely to develop oral cancer.

Smoking is known to cause a number of oral health problems, including gum disease. Gum disease is the number one cause of tooth loss in adults, and smoking greatly increases the chances of gum disease. Smoking cigarettes or using chewing tobacco increases plaque buildup and makes it more difficult to remove with regular brushing and flossing.

If you are a current or former smoker, your teeth may be stained or yellowed due to tobacco. Tobacco use can cause oral cancer, gum disease, and bad breath as well. In addition, tobacco contains tar, which can stain your teeth yellow. Thankfully, a teeth whitening procedure can whiten your teeth and remove any stains caused by smoking.