7 Ways Smoking Destroys Your Teeth and Gums

It is true that maintaining your teeth and gums in a good condition involves brushing, flossing, eating a balanced diet, and going to the dentist on a regular basis. But none of these things can counteract the negative impacts of tobacco use. Quitting this bad habit is most likely the only way you can save your teeth from the numerous effects of smoking.

Continue reading to find out about the most serious threats smoking poses to your teeth and gums.

1. Increased risk of mouth cancer 
Tobacco smoke contains almost 70,000 different chemicals. 7,000 of these chemicals have been linked to cancer. Between 75 and 90 percent of patients with mouth cancer had a tobacco use history.

According to research by the American Cancer Society, men who smoke cigarettes have a 28-fold higher likelihood of developing mouth cancer than men who do not smoke. Mouth cancer was six times as likely to affect women smokers than women nonsmokers.

It has been proven that smoking cigarettes are a direct cause of mouth cancer. Contact your family dentist right away if you develop any of the following symptoms: 
- Tooth pain
- Persistent mouth sores
- Problems moving your jaw or tongue
- Sudden weight loss
- Chronic halitosis
- Difficulty moving your jaw or tongue
- White or red patches inside your gums

2. Tooth decay 
Excessive sugar consumption and poor dental hygiene are two common causes of cavities. It's interesting to note that smoking has a connection to tooth decay. Studies show that smoking promotes the growth of certain bacteria that cause this condition.

3. Increased risk of gum disease 
One of the main risk factors for periodontitis is tobacco use. This is an inflammatory pathological condition of the periodontal and gingival tissues surrounding your pearly whites. If it progresses enough, periodontitis can compromise your jawbone, leaving your teeth with minimal support and eventually resulting in missing teeth. What is the relationship between periodontitis and smoking? Tabacco's poisonous chemicals make your body less able to fight infection, which leads to gum disease, jawbone deterioration, and tooth loss.

4. Bad breath 
Smoking can result in bad breath because it affects the salivary flow, making your mouth dry. All of the dead cells and plaque that frequently build up on your enamel and gums are washed away by saliva. Smoking also increases your risk of oral infections, which are common culprits behind bad breath. 

5. Leukoplakia
Another name for leukoplakia is "smoker's keratosis." The interior of the mouth develops several thick, white patches, which are the key characteristic of this illness. Leukoplakia can affect the borders of your tongue, your gums, and the inside of your cheeks. Actually, cigarette smoking is the main factor in smokers' keratosis, which might be a sign of early-stage mouth cancer. If you smoke, your risk of mouth cancer stays even after leukoplakia treatment.

6. Stained teeth 
Stains that are intrinsic or extrinsic to the tooth might darken it. Dentin typically turns yellow owing to intrinsic stains, which can be brought on by childhood dental injury, too much fluoride, or using certain antibiotics. Extrinsic stains, which are typically brought on by excessive consumption of coffee or wine, cause the outer structure of the tooth to get stained. Both kinds of stains are brought on by smoking.

7. Risk of dental treatment failure
Because smoking can cause periodontal disease, tooth discoloration, and numerous cavities, you could require specific dental procedures. However, both dental implants and teeth whitening procedures might fail to provide the desired result if you continue smoking. Due to this, some dentists won't even perform an implant installation unless you commit to giving up this bad habit.