Smoking affects your lungs and can cause breathing issues. But do you know that smoking can also lead to several dental problems and deteriorate your oral health? Dentists recommend that apart from cosmetic concerns, smoking can also lead to dental decay.
There are several reasons why your orthodontist London might hate smoking, and ask you to avoid it:
- It can cause bad breath.
- It can lead to stains and discoloration of your teeth.
- Smoking can cause salivary gland inflammation, which are the openings present at the roof of your mouth.
- It can increase plaque and tartar build-up on your teeth.
- If you have missing natural teeth, smoking can cause an acceleration in the rate of bone loss in your jaws.
- Smoking can enhance the risk of leukoplakia (white patches inside the mouth).
- There are more chances of acquiring gum diseases when you smoke. If not taken proper care of, this can even lead to tooth loss.
- If you are a smoker and recently got your tooth extracted, then it would take more time for the site to heal. The healing time also increases for periodontal treatments and oral surgeries.
- There is an increased chance of developing oral cancer.
- If you are thinking about getting dental implants, smoking might reduce the chances of its success.
Orthodontist London suggests that you should quit smoking in order to have healthy oral and overall health. Tobacco would not only degrade your quality of life but it can also cause cosmetic concerns which would hamper your facial appearance.Â
Smoking and other tobacco products are major contributors when it comes to gum diseases. It basically affects the attachment of your bone and soft tissue to the teeth. Also, smoking can interrupt the functioning of your gum tissues, which makes smokers more susceptible to infection and they can also acquire periodontal diseases. It can also hamper the normal flow of blood to your gums and this slows down any time of the healing process occurring inside your mouth.
No matter in whatever way you use tobacco products, it would cause different types of risks to your oral and overall health. If you are unable to leave smoking at once, you should at least try to reduce the intake. This would also cause significant benefits, as it is seen that cutting down smoking by half a packet can reduce the chances of developing gum diseases three times.
To stop smoking and reduce your nicotine cravings, you can take advice from experts. There are several support groups that can help you with the process. You can also contact your local hospitals about any programs that might offer you the required help. There are herbal remedies and acupuncture that might help you to stop this habit.
