Cigarettes: Your Teeth

Tags: blog, smoking

Some habits are only harmful to your health. Smoking is one habit that has no benefit to your body and contributes to faster deterioration of your overall wellbeing. The habit is addictive and increases your chances of developing several types of cancers such as mouth and lung cancer. The impact on the lungs is one of the major conditions that make people quit smoking, but the bad effects of the habit start in the mouth. Smoking affects your oral health on many levels, and it will lead to unhealthy teeth and gums. it is therefore important to know how smoking affects your dental health, to be able to make an informed to quit the harmful habit.

Leads to teeth discoloration

Heavy smoking puts you at risk of having discolored teeth. This is because the tar and nicotine contained in the smoke leave stains on the surface of the teeth, and the stains can get into your enamel. When this happens, even brushing teeth twice daily will not help in removing the stains.

Leads to tooth loss

Smoking increases the likelihood of experiencing tooth loss severally. Firstly, it delays your healing from problems that may arise. Smoking constricts blood flow which carries oxygen which is important in the healing process. Therefore, if you have a dental procedure performed on your gums you will have a longer healing process. This occurs also when you have an infection or an oral injury. You will therefore have a weakened dental structure that will unable to support your teeth as you age.

Worsens gum disease

Smoking will lead to a progression of gum disease, which can be detrimental to your teeth. You should seek medical attention immediately if you are experiencing gum disease.
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