It’s common knowledge that smoking causes damage to the vital organs of our body, and if you’re smoking in this day and age you’re knowingly putting your health at risk of heart disease, lung disease, cancers and asthma, plus much more which can all lead to death. However, many people still choose to smoke despite these risks, often because you can’t see the physical damage it does to your body on the inside, and many people adopt the thought process that if you look and feel fine what harm is it doing? A part of the body that is often neglected is teeth and the oral cavity, and the effects of smoking on oral health is something that can be seen and is just as damaging.
What are the effects of smoking on oral health?
If anything can stop you from smoking it may be the appearance of your smile. Many people pride themselves on their bright white smile but smoking can have a negative impact on how your smile looks and your self esteem. Smoking stains and discolours the teeth giving them a yellow tone which can’t be removed just through brushing.
No matter how much you brush, the staining builds up and will dull your smile. Not only this, smoking also causes bad breath, and as an adult bad breath and stained teeth can be embarrassing and cause self esteem issues.
An unpleasant appearance is not the only effect of smoking as there are far more serious conditions such as tooth decay, tooth loss and oral cancer. Smoking causes gum and periodontal diseases as tobacco affects gum tissues cells which leads to inflammation of the gums, receding gums and eventually tooth loss.
Other problems include jawbone loss and mouth sores, and because smoking weakens the immune system this can hinder the body’s healing process and makes recovering from surgery difficult and prolonged. This means that restoring the appearance and function of the teeth can be problematic since the immune system is weakened and the overall dental structure may be damaged beyond repair.
Oral cancer is by far the most detrimental effect of smoking. Tobacco significantly increases the risk of developing cancer and is one of the leading causes of mouth cancer in particular. We offer mouth cancer screening here at Fiveways Dental, so if you smoke it’s wise to visit us for this particular service.
How to stop the negative effects of smoking on oral health
Ultimately the only way to avoid these effects and keep an aesthetically pleasing smile is to quit smoking all together. All of the above are very real effects of tobacco and as dental professionals it’s our job to provide you with the information and tools to stop smoking and improve your oral health.
Smoking cessation can be difficult but with the right help from Fiveways Dental in Liverpool you will see improvements in your oral health straight away. We can provide you with advice and support that you need and regular checkups will ensure that you stay on top of good oral health practice.
Call 0151 837 0800 today to book your consultation and make your first step to quitting smoking.
