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How can smoking affect my oral health?

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Jake

Smoking is one of the most harmful habits that an individual can engage in. The negative effects of smoking on the lungs, heart, and other vital organs are well known. However, the impact of smoking on oral health is often overlooked. Smoking can have severe and lasting consequences on oral health, leading to a range of oral health problems, from minor issues such as bad breath to severe complications such as oral cancer.

Of all the bad habits out there, smoking is one of the worst for overall health. We all know how bad it is for your heart, lungs, and body. But the effect it has on your mouth is quite frequently overlooked. From bad breath to cancer, we’re going to take a look at why smoking is a really really terrible thing, not just for your body, but also for your mouth.


Bad Breath

A more obvious result of smoking, halitosis is that juicy nasty smell erupting from your mouth hole every time you open it up to speak. This smell lingers and, as a dentist, I can tell you that nobody appreciates the smell of your smoky mouth. Aside from the smoky smell, smoking also creates dry mouth, which makes bad breath way worse and also causes your teeth to rot at a very accelerated pace. Just don’t do it. Thanks.

Stained Teeth

The tar in cigarettes will stain your teeth and gums. They will change color and it will look like you’ve never brushed your teeth in your life. These stains are usually incredibly difficult to remove, even for an experienced dentist or hygienist. Cigarettes suck.

Gum Disease

Gum disease can cause bad breath, bone loss, and ultimately the loss of all your teeth and a need for dentures. It can also cause a lot of infection and inflammation, which can be extremely painful. And all of this is also caused by…you guessed it…smoking.

Oral Cancer

As if the above isn’t bad enough, smoking is also the leading cause of oral cancer. If you smoke, you are 6 times more likely to get oral cancer. Are those odds you want to play? I certainly don’t. The longer and more often you smoke, the more likely you are to develop oral cancer. This is mainly due to the chemicals in cigarettes, which alter the DNA in your mouth, AKA cancer.

Tooth Loss

As previously mentioned, smoking leads to gum disease which leads to bone loss, which leads to teeth getting loose and falling out. Nobody wants to lose their teeth. As if that’s not bad enough, smoking also decreases how much oxygen you have in your blood, which makes it harder for your body to fight infection and heal from any diseases. Are you starting to notice a pattern? Cigarettes = demons.

Reduced sense of taste and smell

The chemicals in cigarettes really mess up your entire body. They also damage your taste buds, which means you won’t be able to enjoy food as much, since you can’t properly taste it. Oh, you also won’t be able to smell it due to other chemicals in cigarettes that mess with your olfactory sensors. Fun!

I think I’ve made it pretty clear, but just in case you don’t get it yet, smoking stinks up your breath, ruins your teeth, tongue, gums, and nose, gives you cancer, and stops your body from being able to heal from all these problems and any more health problems you might have acquired elsewhere. If you don’t smoke, please don’t start. If you smoke, please quit. We can help. Give us a call.






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