You’d think it would be no skin off our noses at Crofts Dental Practice in Essex if you smoke or not, so why do we offer smoking cessation help? After all, we’re not your GP.
Well, smoking affects the entire body and it particularly shows up in the mouth, affecting the gums and teeth.
Smoking and cancer
Mouth cancers include cancers of the lip, tongue, salivary glands, throat as well as the mouth itself. And tobacco use is the top risk factor for oral cancers. You may not know you have oral cancer, as the first symptoms often don’t hurt. They show up as strange lumps or numb patches, toothache or a feeling that something has got stuck in your throat.
Smoking and gum disease
Gum disease is not just about dental plaque giving off acids that attack the gums and tooth roots. Smoking also has a big part to play in it. This is because the bacteria that cause gum disease are present in higher amounts in smokers’ mouths.
Also, when you smoke you have lower levels of components that play an important part in the way the body’s immune system works. The result is that you are more likely to get inflamed gums, and lose more collagen and bone.
Smoking constricts the blood vessels and so the blood is less able to get to the gums to keep them healthy.
And if that wasn’t enough to put you off, if you do get gum disease and you smoke, you won’t heal from treatment as well.
All this means that you are more likely to lose teeth to gum disease than an ex-smoker or a non-smoker.
Are you less kissable too?
If you smoke, unless your partner is also a smoker, you are less kissable. Your teeth stain easily, your breath smells and your tongue is coated. If you are dating, stopping smoking widens your choice of partner.
Smoking cessation at Crofts Dental Practice
We can offer you a free consultation on smoking cessation. Advice and support can make all the difference to stopping. So, come on in and let’s get you on track to a healthier, happier mouth.