You may have heard many times that 'smoking seriously harms your health,' but do you know how? Perhaps the first answer that comes to mind is respiratory and lung problems, but there are more negative effects also linked to your oral health. We'll tell you how tobacco affects your mouth.
Stains on the teeth: Teeth tend to get stained due to the action of nicotine and tar. Tobacco on the teeth causes surface discoloration (brownish) and promotes the formation of tartar.
Cavities: Smoking increases the risk of cavities in adults. Additionally, smoking reduces salivary flow.
Halitosis: Bad breath is caused by changes in the quantity and quality of saliva affecting oral microbial flora. It is also exacerbated by periodontal disease. Nicotine
Palatinitis: People who smoke a high number of cigarettes often develop a hard, pale, or white palate, often combined with multiple red spots. This is due to circulatory ischemia (constriction of blood vessels with reduced blood flow) and may disappear after quitting smoking.
Impact on Dental Implants: The failure rate of dental implants is higher in smokers. Smoking is associated with greater loss of bone support around implants, especially in the upper jaw, which can lead to the complete loss of a dental implant. Moreover, there is a higher risk of implant integration failure after placement, which requires implant removal, several months of waiting, and the placement of a new implant.
Periodontal Disease: It is a chronic and progressive disease that causes tooth loss. The gums receive less blood and oxygen, reducing defense mechanisms against bacteria in dental plaque, which become more aggressive and actively destroy the tissues supporting the teeth. Depending on the extent of the condition, it is called gingivitis when the inflammatory process only affects the gums, or periodontitis when the inflammatory process affects deep periodontal tissues, resulting in bone and ligament destruction that support and hold the teeth. When periodontal disease has progressed to periodontitis, other symptoms often appear, such as gum recession, tooth mobility, tooth spacing, increased tooth sensitivity, especially to cold, gum pain, bad breath, and abscesses and gum boils.
It's always important to inform your dentist if you are smoking so they can consider the appropriate treatments and achieve better results in your treatment. If you have any questions, you can call us at 6378266.
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