Why Quitting Smoking Can Save Your Oral Health

Studies have overwhelmingly shown smoking to be bad for your health, and can cause many diseases, most commonly cancers, such as lung and oral cancer. There are a number of adverse effects smoking has on your oral health. Here is why quitting smoking can save your oral health, including your teeth – and ultimately your life.

First of all, it is no mystery that smoking – even smokeless tobacco, and chewing tobacco can cause mild issues from bad breath and tooth discoloration; however, there are many more dental conditions – even serious oral disease directly related to smoking; these include:

• Gum disease – people who smoke has an increased risk of producing bacterial plaque, leading to gum disease. Gums are affected because smoking results in a lack of oxygen in the bloodstream, so if you have infected gums, they will not heal.

• Delayed healing from oral surgery – Again, because of the reduced oxygen in the blood, healing is delayed, since we need oxygen in the tissues to heal.

• Oral Cancer – because tobacco passes through the lips, mouth, teeth, and tongue, there is a much higher incidence of developing oral cancer and is vital to schedule an appointment with Dr. Scott Ervin to get an examination that includes an oral cancer screening.

• Cavities – since smoking causes an increase in plaque, your chances of getting decay are much higher.

• Bad breath – Every time you smoke, there are more than 4,000 chemicals that pass through your oral cavity, with many ending up collecting in your mouth’s surface; it also dries out your mouth and can lead to gum infection and sinus disease, resulting in post-nasal drip.

For more information on quitting, please contact our dentist at Dr. Scott A. Ervin, DDS. You can reach out by calling 972-563-1670. Let us help you quit smoking and save your dental health in Terrell, Texas.