Your Student Athlete Need to Know: Smokeless Tobacco is Not Safe
Despite the many and varied anti-smoking campaigns throughout the United States, there are still a surprising number of teenage boys who use chewing tobacco – and many of them are student athletes. Whether a teenager or in their 80s, anyone who uses smokeless tobacco is putting their oral health at risk.
The Academy of General Dentistry found in a recent study that kids start using chewing tobacco and other smokeless tobacco products as early as elementary school. According to one study, about 4% of boys in elementary school use chewing tobacco and as many as 20% of those in high school use it – and half of those who use it in high school will eventually develop a white patch in their mouth, which is a serious pre-cancerous condition.
Sports if often the common link
Many boys start using smokeless tobacco when they start playing sports – especially baseball. Researchers have found that this seems to be directly related to the use of smokeless tobacco by pro baseball players.
Snus, a type of Swedish smokeless tobacco that comes in pouches that look somewhat like tea, are becoming more and more popular. The user just takes the pouch, puts it between their gum and upper lip, and leaves it there for thirty minutes. They can then throw it away and there’s no need for the spitting people often associate with smokeless tobacco.
No form of tobacco is used
One of the issues with this type of smokeless tobacco is that people often believe that they’re safe. The truth is something else entirely – especially when considering oral health. According to the American Cancer Society, people who quit smoking cigarettes but switched to smokeless tobacco still had higher risks of stroke, lung cancer, and heart disease compared to people who quit tobacco altogether.
Smokeless tobacco can lead to serious oral health problems
At California Dental Group, our concern is primarily with your student athlete’s oral health. Smokeless tobacco can indeed increase their chance of everything from cavities to oral cancer. Remember that, just like you’d find in a typical cigarette, there are 28 chemicals in smokeless tobacco that are known to cause cancer. In fact, smokeless tobacco can lead to a variety of cancers including those of the pancreas, lip, mouth, and tongue.
Users of smokeless tobacco may also be at a higher risk of other cancers, like voice box, colon, esophagus, and bladder, because they swallow some of the toxins in the tobacco. It can also irate your gums and cause gum disease. Finally, additional ingredients in smokeless tobacco can cause issues, like the sugar that may be added to improve the flavor, which can lead to tooth decay, or the sand and grit, which can wear down the teeth over time.
If your student athlete uses smokeless tobacco, make sure they know the dangers and encourage them to quit. If they insist on continuing to use, be sure they get their regular cleanings and exams at California Dental Group so we can keep an eye on them. To set up an appointment, contact us at (800) 407-0161 right away.
