Nowadays, we are all aware that smoking is the leading cause of various medical (even life-threatening) issues like lung cancer and many cardiopulmonary diseases.
And yes, these are delicate medical conditions. However, you probably haven´t realised that smoking affects other body parts such as your mouth, teeth, and gums.
By smoking, you expose your teeth to the effects of nicotine and tobacco. Consequently, you´re likely to suffer from bad breath and stained, yellowish teeth.
Also, as time passes, smoking will progressively damage your sense of taste and immune system. This will heavily increase the risk of developing conditions like gum disease and oral cancer.
Here, we´ve compiled a brief guide with all you need to know to answer the question. Why is smoking so bad for your teeth?
Smoking and Oral Health: 5 Common Issues
Stained teeth
The tar and nicotine present in tobacco cause smokers´ teeth to become stained, acquiring a yellowish appearance. You can fight it by brushing several times a day.
Aside from protecting your teeth from stains, thoroughly brushing your teeth will help you guard your gum tissue against periodontitis.
It´s also recommended you use special toothpaste. Many over-the-counter options are specially designed to help counter teeth discolouration.
Bad breath
The so-called “Smoker’s breath” is among the leading causes of concern among smoking people. However, there´s more to bad breath associated with smoking.
Bad breath could also be linked to smoking side effects, including dry mouth or early stages of periodontitis.
Good oral hygiene habits, rinsing with an antibacterial mouthwash and drinking more water. These are all surefire ways you can counter smoker´s breath.
Gum disease
Smoking or consuming any other form of tobacco affects the attachment of your teeth to bone/soft tissue. Thus increasing your risk of developing gum disease.
Moreso, smoking could affect blood flow to the gums (which prevents wound healing) and disrupts gum tissue cells´ normal function. Said disruption makes smoking people more vulnerable to infections.
Oral Cancer
Although most people know the relation between smoking and lung/throat cancer, many ignore it´s also a leading cause of mouth cancer.
According to the American Cancer Society, 90% of mouth, tongue, lips, and throat cancer patients are tobacco users, which means that smokers are 6times more prone to develop these forms of cancer.
Likewise, only 6% of non-smoking cancer survivors develop it again. A statistic that increases up to 37% amongst smoking patients.
Dry mouth
Among its many side effects, your mouth´s saliva flow might be affected by the nicotine you consume by smoking. This condition is known as dry mouth (or cottonmouth).
Dry mouth from smoking might also be exacerbated when you also consume alcohol. This can snowball into multiple oral health issues like periodontitis, tooth decay, and chronic bad breath.
So, there you have it! We hope our guide has answered the question. Why is smoking so bad for your teeth?
As you can see, smoking has a much-negative impact on your oral health. If you want to improve your mouth´s health projections, the best you can do is quit smoking.
Nonetheless, if you don´t feel ready to permanently kick the habit yet, there´re still ways for you to take care of your teeth.
Periodically brushing your teeth, flossing, and regularly consulting your dentist will help you fight the side effects of smoking.