That smoking is bad for your health, we all know. But that smoke is very bad for your teeth is a less known fact, even though a heavy smoker is easily identified by his or her yellow teeth and bad breath. The change of smokers developing periodontal disease, is much higher than that of non-smokers. Smoking has a negative effect on teeth and gums, causes discoloration of the teeth and bad breath. Smoking also leads to a higher risk of oral cancer and gum disease.
Smoking and Gum Disease
Periodontal Disease is a disease which damages the gingivae (the 'gums'), the jawbones and the periodontal tissues. Mild periodontal disease will give rise to gingival inflammation and bleeding. When the disease becomes severe, the gingivae and the jawbones will resorb; the teeth will loosen up, even to the point of falling out.If you light up a cigarette, nicotine from tobacco smoke will penetrate the gums. This will narrow the blood vessels in the gums and the immune cells will be blocked. The result is that less immune cells are able to rid your mouth from dental plaque. Moreover, harmful substances from the smoke ensure that the immune cells function less well in their defence against the bacteria in plaque. This increases the chance of development of periodontal diseases in smokers. In addition various harmful substances from tobacco smoke lead to a reduced production of saliva, thus reducing antibodies present in the oral cavity.
Furthermore, there are now strong indications that the influence of tobacco smoke changes the composition of the plaque. In smokers, the number of aggressive bacteria in plaque increase, which makes the attack on the gums stronger.
All these effects of smoking is undeniably leading to an increased risk of developing periodontal diseases.
Another problem is that by the narrowing of the blood vessels, the inflammation in the gums is not easily observed and not effectively treated.
We have already explained that if you smoke, this leads to a stronger attack of the bacteria on the gums due to a change in the composition of the plaque. That causes an impaired defense against bacteria that results from a narrowing of the blood vessels and reduced saliva production. These factors ensure that in smokers more bone is broken down ánd is broken down faster than in non-smokers with periodontitis. Moreover, research shows that smokers with periodontitis are less responsive to treatment of periodontitis than non-smokers.
Smoking and Implants
An implant is artificially placed in the jaw. Once the implant is sufficiently rooted, it can be used to adjust a bridge or denture.
Smoking causes a narrowing of the blood vessels in the gums, thereby slowing the healing of wounds in the mouth. The chance that the implant lets loose in the jawbone, is almost 3 times higher in smokers. Many dentists are therefore reluctant to advise implants in smokers.
Smoking and discoloration of teeth
Smoking may cause a discoloration of your teeth. You can smoke compare this to the discoloration caused by tea. If your teeth are bleached, smoking has a detrimental effect on this, especially in the period immediately after bleaching.
Preventive Actions:
- Stop smoking
- Regular checkups-every 3 months by your dentist for oral cancer examination and professional cleanings
- Brush your teeth using an ultrasonic toothbrush 2 times a day, especially in the area where you chew, both before and after. Most importantly brush before you go to bed. (You swallow 3,000 times a day while you are awake. Saliva helps neutralize the acids in your mouth. You only swallow about 30 times at night leaving your mouth dry and creating a great environment for dental decay)
- Brush for 2 to 5 minutes, especially being careful to thoroughly clean at the gum line. Use a timer because most people only brush 20 sec!
- Floss daily (only 33% of people floss).
- Use a mouthwash that is alcohol free and has a antibacterial agent in it.
