It is a known phenomenon that the habit of smoking has its adverse effects on human health. Most of you relate to lung and respiratory problems being associated with smoking. Have you ever thought how much damage you are doing to your teeth and mouth? Your mouth is the first point of contact with the cigarette that you smoke and as a result is subjected to a lot of potential damage that can lead to fatal dental complications. Here is what can happen.
Periodontal Gum Disease:
Smokers are more prone to attain this bacterial infection. There are pockets in your teeth where the formation of dental plaque accumulates. The soft tissues and the bones that anchor the teeth to the jawbones are destroyed as a result of this plaque. If the infection increases, more supporting tissues are destroyed leading to deeper pockets. This eventually leads to the gums breaking down. Smoking can worsen this entire process. Smokers have calculus in abundance. Calculus is the plaque in a more hardened form. Calculus is often more detrimental to gum health. Smokers can be deceived easily as the initial symptoms of this disease results in bleeding of gums. However, smokers might not have enough bleeding and redness to suggest that there is something wrong and might feel that they possess perfect gums. A periodical visit to the dentist is advisable, especially if you are a smoker.
Oral Cancer:
Excessive Smoking can lead to Oral Cancer. Alcohol and smoking are two of the primary causes of Oral Cancer. Both contain carcinogenic elements that are harmful to body cells. They contain chemicals that can potentially damage the DNA in the cells and lead to cancer. The intake of alcohol and smoke in tandem is a dangerous proposition as it causes a lot of harm to your mouth. It can be in the form of a red patch or even a painless lump or an ulcer. Ideally, if any kind of painless ulcer remains in the mouth for an extended period of time, you should definitely consider visiting the dentist. The detection of cancer at an early stage is the key.
Bad Breath:
Bad breath can be more than just repulsive. Smoking definitely leads to bad breath and it does not perish with the chewing of a mere mint gum or something similar. The entire oral cavity is subjected to thousands of chemicals each time you smoke. The smell of smoke can linger in the lungs for hours and contributes to what we dread as ‘smoker’s breath‘. The prevalence of pungent chemicals like pyrazine and pyridine highly affect the breath during the combustion of a cigarette. Smoking also leads to increased dryness in the mouth which contributes to the development of bad breath.
Stained Yellow Teeth:
Excessive smoking can wipe the smile off your face simply because you wouldn’t want to smile. Who wants to flaunt yellow teeth? Smoking tobacco can lead to the accumulation of nicotine and tar on the teeth’s surface, resulting in your teeth turning yellow or brown. The nicotine is colorless but on reaction with oxygen turns yellow. The nicotine causes tiny microscopic openings on your enamel causing discolouration of your teeth. Stained teeth can cause a lot of social restrictions in you like reluctance to smile in public, consciousness to not expose teeth while talking, etc.