Smoking is notorious for its detrimental effects on overall health, with issues ranging from lung cancer to delayed wound healing. Numerous anti-smoking campaigns emphasize these harmful impacts, urging individuals to quit smoking. However, an often overlooked aspect of smoking is its impact on oral health. This article aims to shed light on the harmful effects of smoking on dental health, a topic that is often ignored in public awareness campaigns.
Cigarette smoke, which is essentially toxic to the oral cavity, contains two major components: Nicotine and Tar. These chemicals tend to stick to the teeth as residue, causing discoloration that ranges from yellowish to dark brown. This discoloration is not easily removable, and even vigorous brushing or the use of tooth whitening pastes can only lighten the dark stains.
While smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer, it's important to note that over 90% of oral cancer patients are also smokers. This is due to the carcinogenic capacity of cigarette smoke. A study published in the Journal of Periodontology found a direct correlation between the number of cigarettes smoked and the incidence of oral cancer. People who smoked less than half a pack a day were three times more likely to get oral cancer, and those who smoked more than one and a half packs each day were six times more likely.
Smoking also hampers wound healing, which can lead to the failure of many dental procedures. The success of many oral surgeries is affected due to the delayed wound healing caused by smoking, as it hinders the body's defense mechanism. Recent studies have shown an increased success rate of dental implants in non-smokers compared to smokers.
One of the most noticeable effects of smoking is bad breath. The contents of cigarette smoke cause a typical bad breath known as smoker's breath. It also causes Halitosis, which is common bad breath. This is because cigarette smoke causes drying of the mouth and hence reduced salivation. Saliva is an effective anti-microbial agent that fights bad breath. Reduction of salivation allows the bad breath causing bacteria to thrive.
Smoking is also held responsible as a causative agent for many cases of advanced Periodontitis, a serious gum infection that damages gums and can destroy the jawbone.
With so many harmful effects of smoking on oral health, it is crucial to consider quitting smoking today. Not only will this decision benefit your overall health, but it will also significantly improve your dental health.
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