We are all aware that smoking is bad for your lungs and heart. Cigarette packages and other types of media frequently feature these kinds of warnings. The impact of smoking on dental health, however, is often overlooked despite being detrimental. It can lead to several health issues, including discoloration, periodontal disease, tooth loss, and oral cancer. Potential consequences include damaging your gums and teeth and compromising your overall dental well-being. Seek help from family dentists in Burlington, Ontario, right away.
Effects on Dental Health and Your Teeth
- Yellowing and staining of teeth are two of smoking’s most noticeable impacts on dental health. Tar and nicotine, two components of tobacco products, can gradually discolor tooth enamel with unattractive brown or yellowish hues. It could make you feel terrible about yourself and make you smile awkwardly.
- Reduced Appetite Appreciation: Cigarette smoke can numb your sense of smell and taste, making eating less exciting. This is because your taste buds and olfactory receptors are constantly being bombarded by smoking.
- Cigarette smoking impedes the healing process following dental operations or oral surgery and raises the risk of oral health problems in general. Slower healing and an increased risk of postoperative problems result from impaired blood flow, depriving oral tissues of oxygen and nutrients.
- Tartar and Plaque Deposition: It promotes the accumulation of tartar and plaque, a bacterial film that sticks to teeth. Tartar, the hardened form of plaque, requires the expertise of a dentist to remove.
- Impaired Bone Health: This might hinder the healing process of bone-related disorders, including osteoporosis or jawbone infections.
- Foul Breath: Halitosis and chronic foul breath are symptoms of bad breath. Cigarette smoke causes bad breath, decreased saliva production, and gum disease due to the chemicals in the smoke. These conditions facilitate Bacterial overgrowth, resulting in unpleasant breath that is difficult to disguise.
- Periodontal disease, also referred to as gum disease, is greatly exacerbated by smoking. Gum inflammation, infection, and tooth loss can result from smoking, which weakens the immune response and contains hazardous chemicals. When compared to non-smokers, smokers are more prone to acquire advanced gum disease and have more severe symptoms.
- It mainly causes tooth decay by encouraging the growth of bacteria that are bad for your teeth and weakening your enamel.
- Problems with Dental operations: Smoking could make it harder for some dental procedures to go well. For instance, smokers are more likely to experience complications after dental implant placement, such as a slowed healing process and an increased risk of infection. Similarly, there is a greater risk of reinfection and other issues for smokers who need root canal therapy.
