Smokers Face Increased Dental Risks in a Number of Ways
Are you a smoker? It’s likely that you’ve already heard a lot about how this habit affects your lungs. But did you know that smoking can also negatively affect the condition of your gums and teeth? Read on to learn more and then contact California Dental Group at (800) 407-0161 if it has been more than six months since your last dental cleaning and exam.
Smoking can conceal gum disease symptoms
One of the most typical signs of gum disease is bleeding gums. Yet, if you smoke, it’s possible that your gums don’t bleed as easily. Before you recognize you require treatment, the disease is likely to advance to the more serious form of periodontitis without this crucial sign to warn you of the presence of a gum disease infection.
smoking increases the chance of losing teeth
Men who smoke are 3.6 times more likely than non-smokers to experience tooth loss, according to recent research in the Journal of Dental Research. Women smokers are 2.5 times as likely to lose teeth compared to non-smoking women. This association is undoubtedly influenced by the fact that smokers frequently struggle with gum disease; if ignored, gum disease can lead to teeth becoming loose and eventually falling out.
Limitations on smoking and replacement options for teeth
The best option to replace a missing tooth is with a dental implant. But, smoking will make the recovery process for any type of oral surgery—including dental implant surgery—more difficult. You will have to settle for a bridge to replace your missing teeth unless you stop smoking. A bridge won’t stop bone loss in the jaw near the missing tooth root, in contrast to a dental implant.
Smoking increases the risk of oral cancer
Smoking may cause oral cancer, which is a major effect it can have on your dental health. Your first line of protection against oral cancer is often your dentist. Your yearly dental checkups will include an oral cancer screening as well, which frequently enables the early detection of oral cancers for effective treatment.
Smoking may impact the dental health of your children
One observational study that was just published in The British Medical Journal found a link between baby exposure to smokers and dental caries. Researchers discovered that babies who lived in a smoking household at the age of four months had a double the risk of developing cavities compared to children who did not.
Unable to stop smoking? Go to the dentist more often
While giving up smoking is the greatest method to ensure that your dental health is not negatively impacted by this behavior, if you are unable to do so, you may still seek to enhance your oral health by increasing your daily oral care regimen.
To prevent gum disease, you might need to brush and floss more diligently at home. If you are particularly prone to infections, you might also want to start seeing the dentist more frequently than once a year to help keep your teeth and gums healthy.
Call one of our clinic locations right away at (800) 407-0161 to schedule a consultation with a qualified dentist from California Dental Group.
