People who smoke regularly have a higher risk of gum problems, complications with tooth extractions and surgery in the mouth, and developing carcinoma. Smoking affects your teeth’s resistance to infections and slows the healing process gradually.
Stopping smoking reduces the danger of developing gum diseases and carcinoma, and improves the body’s response to gum treatment. Smokers need to visit their dentists often to keep their teeth and gums healthy and have regular checks up to avoid diseases like carcinoma.
Tips to take care of your teeth and gums
If you’re a smoker, there are ways you can try to prevent tooth and gum issues by:
- Quitting smoking – Consult your doctor or seek advice on helplines for direction and support.
- If quitting smoking is just too tough, attempt to reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke.
- Clean your teeth and gums twice daily with a mouthwash that contains fluoride.
- Use floss or interdental cleaners daily to scrub between your teeth.
- Visit your dentist often to get recommendations for correct care of your teeth and gum treatment, early intervention and regular preventive maintenance visits can help to keep your teeth and gums healthy.
- Avoid having xerotes – drink lots of water and chew sugar-free gum to stimulate saliva production which will keep your mouth moist and protect from any form of infection.
- Limit your alcohol intake.
Oral problems that are affecting smokers
The most common oral issues affecting smokers:
- Periodontal diseases
- Whitening of the oral mucous membrane (mucous membrane) that is named smoker’s skin disease
- Oral cancer
- Slow healing when tooth extractions (dry sockets)
- Stained teeth
- Bad and unhealthy breath.
Periodontal (gum) conditions
Periodontal (gum) conditions are caused by an infection that damages the bone encompassing and supporting your teeth. Which further effects jawbone and hinders your ability to chew. Bacterial and food grime referred to as plaque are the known factors that trigger gum diseases.
If left uncleaned on teeth and gums, the plaque thickens to create tartar or calculus. The plaque collected irritates the gums around teeth. As gum unwellness progresses, additional bone is lost. Teeth become loose and fall out by themselves or have to be extracted by a dentist.
Smokers generally don’t have bleeding gums as they have low blood to provide to the gums; therefore, their gum health is usually altered.
Smokers who smoke less than ten cigarettes per day are twice likely to develop gum diseases. This will increase to four to five times further in heavier smokers and more cigarettes, severe gum diseases. Smokers don’t respond similarly to gum treatment as non-smokers.
Smokers are at the higher risk of developing acute necrotizing lesion periodontitis, associate degree pain condition of the gum, that smells and tastes terrible.
Those who stop smoking have an equivalent risk of developing oral health issues and responding to gum treatment as non-smokers. Those who quit smoking often experience excessive gum bleeding. The harm ought to stop when gum treatment from your dentist and cleansing your teeth properly.
Symptoms of gum diseases
Visit your dentist if you notice any symptoms, including:
- Red, swollen and bleeding gums
- Persistent purulent discharge from your gums
- Loose and regressive gums
- An unhealthy mouth or bad breath
- Loose teeth – this will change the texture of your bite once your teeth are placed along or create dentures match otherwise
- A gap between your teeth.
Oral cancer
Oral cancer occurs in the mouth, together with the tongue, cheek, palate, floor of the mouth and lips. There have been 518 new cases of carcinoma diagnosed in 2010. From people with carcinoma, seventy-five per cent are smokers.
People who quit both are at equivalent risk of developing carcinoma as non-smokers after ten years. Also, non-smokers with carcinoma are likely to survive by 3 per cent than non-smokers.
Oral cancer in smokers possibly occurs on the side of the tongue or the floor of the mouth. Treatment for carcinoma includes surgery, radiation and tooth extractions.
Symptoms of carcinoma
Please see your dentist straight off if you notice any:
- A persistent lesion in your mouth or on your lip that doesn’t disappear when seven to ten days, chiefly if the injury isn’t painful
- White patch in your mouth
- Red spot in your mouth
- Swelling in your mouth
- Dentures are suddenly not fitting correctly.
- Poor healing when dental work
Oral cancer is a very severe condition that if not treated, can cost you your life. Quitting is always the best solution, but if it is too hard, you can always schedule routine checkups to keep everything in check. Shah’s Dental Serenity is one of the best dental Clinic in South Mumbai.
