You've
probably noticed the warnings and images on cigarette packs: "Smoking
can be injurious to health” or “Quitting smoking can reduce some serious
health risks." When you read these signs, what diseases come to mind?
Probably, lung cancer, or emphysema. But did you know most periodontal
diseases in smokers are caused by smoking?
How can smoking cause gum disease?
Smoking
or tobacco products can cause gum disease by affecting the soft tissue
and bone attachment of your teeth. It is believed that smoking
interferes with the normal functioning of the cells within the gum
tissue. This interruption can make smokers a lot more vulnerable to
infections and damage the flow of blood to the gums.
Do cigar and pipe smoking cause dental issues?
Just
like cigarettes, cigars and pipes do lead to oral health issues. Cigar
smokers experience alveolar bone loss and tooth loss at the rates equal
to those who smoke cigarettes. Pipe smokers also are susceptible to
tooth loss as cigarette smokers. Beyond such risks, cigar and pipe
smokers are still at risk for pharyngeal and oral cancers as well as
stained teeth, bad breath, and increased risk of gum disease.
Is smokeless tobacco safer?
No.
Like cigarettes and cigars, smokeless tobacco contains more than 25
chemicals that have been known for increasing the danger of oral cancer
and throat cancer and esophagus. In fact, chewing tobacco comprises of
higher nicotine levels than cigarettes, making it difficult to quit than
cigarettes.
Smokeless
tobacco irritates the gum tissue, making it pull away or recede from
your teeth. After gum tissues recede, teeth roots get exposed, leading
to an increased risk of tooth decay. Exposed roots may also be more
sensitive towards cold and hot or other irritants, making drinking ad
eating uncomfortable.
Kick the habit of tobacco:
Irrespective
of how long you have abused tobacco, quitting at any stage can greatly
decrease risks to your oral health. After eleven years of quitting, a
smoker’s chances of suffering from a periodontal disease is not very
different from those who never smoke.
Apart
from this, even decreasing the amount you smoke can help. A study has
found that smokers who reduce the number of cigarettes to half a pack
per day have only two times the risk of getting gum disease in
comparison to nonsmokers, which is considerably lower than the risk seen
in people who smoke more than one pack a day.
To
stop consuming tobacco, your doctor or dentist may be able to assist
you in calming nicotine cravings with nicotine patches and gum. Some of
the products can be bought over the counter; others need a prescription
from a doctor.
Smoking
support groups and cessation classes are normally used in tandem with
drug therapy. Such programs are offered by local community hospitals and
health insurance companies. Ask your dentist or doctor for information
on similar programs being run around you. Herbal remedies and acupuncture and hypnosis, are other treatments that are helpful in kicking the habit.
