How Does Smoking Lead To Oral Health Issues?

Smoking leads to a number of dental problems, both minimally dangerous and glaring concern. Research suggests that 16% of the smokers suffer from poor dental health, which is almost four times the rate of non-smokers. Common problems range from bad breath, tooth discoloration, and inflammation of the salivary gland openings as well as excessive build-up of tartar and plaque on the teeth and increased loss of bone within the jaws. Dentists in Pakistan also suspect smoking to be a leading cause of increased risk of leukoplakia, which results in white patches inside the mouth. Also, smoking increases the risk of developing gum diseases while also delaying the healing process following any dental surgeries such as tooth extraction or periodontal treatments, and lowering the success rate of dental implants. On a more serious note, smoking increases the risk of developing oral cancer.

Moreover, dentists in Pakistan contend that smoking is a leading cause of gum diseases; smokers are 64.2% more likely to develop gum diseases as compared to non-smokers. Tobacco products basically contain ingredients that can seriously damage the attachment of soft tissue and bone to your teeth. In more specific terms, smoking these ingredients inevitably interferes with the normal functioning of gum tissue cells which then make it easier for infections to flourish while also impairing the blood flow to the gums. Smokers are, therefore, more susceptible to infections such as periodontal diseases, and wound healing is also slow for them.

What is even more important to note is the fact that smoking significantly damages your body’s auto-immune defense system. This means that in case of a negative situation, your body will find it harder to protect itself or react. Moreover, sudden tartar build-up further aggravates the situation which is essentially because your body falls short of battling with potential infections. Also, when you smoke, the blood flow to the mouth decreases sharply. And not to forget, the grit in tobacco, when rubs with the teeth, seriously damages the enamel.

There is a frequently asked question as to whether pipe and cigar also cause an equal amount of damage or if they are less dangerous. Best dentists in Pakistan suggest that cigarettes, pipes and cigars all cause serious damage to oral health alike. According to a 23-year long study conducted by the Journal of American Dental Association, tooth loos and alveolar bone loss are equally common in both cigarette smokers and cigar smokers. Also, both the smokers are at equal risks of serious oral and throat cancers, along with generally less dangerous oral consequences such as bad breath and stained teeth.

Having read this, it is high time you have mercy on your teeth and quit smoking.