The Oral Effects of Smoking

It is common knowledge that smoking cigarettes is damaging to a person's oral health. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study conducted by the Division of Oral Health found that smokers are four times as likely to develop periodontal disease than those that do not smoke cigarettes. In addition to this serious oral disease, smoking can also adversely affect the appearance of your smile. Read on to learn more about the effect that smoking can have on your teeth and gums. If you smoke cigarettes, schedule an appointment with our Pennsylvania cosmetic dentistry practice so Dr. Bruce Wilderman can examine the health of your teeth and gums.

The less serious effects of smoking on your oral health include:

Bad breath
Yellowing of the teeth

The more serious effects of smoking on your teeth and gums include:

Increased risk of oral cancer, gum disease, leukoplakia (white patches in the mouth), and bone loss in the jaw
More plaque and tarter build-up
Salivary gland inflammation
Delayed gum healing
Decrease in dental implant success rate

Smoking tobacco products disrupts the function of gum tissue cells and affects the attachment of bone and soft tissue. This can make patients more prone to dental problems. Additionally, because cigarette smoking delays healing, patients that visit the dentist for treatments have lower success rates and longer recovery periods.

According to the American Cancer Society, 90 percent of patients with oral cancer (mouth, tongue, lip, and throat cancer) use tobacco products on a regular basis. Tobacco users are six times more likely to develop some type of oral cancer than non-smokers.

If you need to undergo restorative dentistry in Pennsylvania because smoking has adversely affected the health of your teeth, contact Artistic Expressions Dentistry today.