While we all know the negative effects smoking can have on our physical health leading to conditions like lung cancer, people often don’t realize the negative effects it has on their dental health. In fact, those who smoke are at an increased risk of developing various complications and are more likely to need restorative dentistry treatments to repair their teeth and gums.
At Summit Dental Group, our Boise dentists can explain how and why smoking affects your dental health. With preventative care and education, we hope to help those who smoke cease this potentially harmful habit. That’s why we’d like to provide you with the following information about the negative effects smoking has on your dental health and why you should consider kicking this bad habit.
Most people know that smoking affects the appearance of their teeth. Tobacco of any kind stains teeth, causing them to become discolored. Unfortunately, this isn’t the only effect smoking causes. Smoking can lead to much more serious problems than superficial, cosmetic consequences. Smoking leads to serious dental health problems because it impairs blood flow and interferes with normal cellular functions (cancer) in the soft tissues of the mouth.
By impairing blood flow and interfering with cellular functions, smoking can have a wide variety of serious effects on a person’s dental health. These include the following dental health complications:
The good news for patients who smoke is that it’s never too late to stop. In fact, the body has the incredible ability to recover after a bad habit has been stopped. For example, current smokers are up to 6x more likely to develop gum disease compared to past smokers who are tobacco-free. Even the process of cutting down has shown a decrease in the harmful effects smoking has on your dental health.
We understand that despite the benefits of quitting smoking, the process can be much easier said than done. However, we urge our Treasure Valley patients to do their research and talk to their doctor about tools and medications that can help them achieve their goal. These include gums, patches, and lozenges along with other remedies such as hypnosis.
At Summit Dental Group, we want all of our patients to enjoy the benefits of a healthy, beautiful smile. That’s why we provide a full range of restorative and cosmetic dental services that aid our patients in achieving this goal. To learn more about the dental services we offer, contact us at (208) 314-2275 today.
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