Say Goodbye to Smoking and Improve Your Oral Health

Take a walk on a busy road; you will see a number of signs urging people to quit smoking. Switch on the television at your home and you will watch anti-smoking commercials running almost on every channel. So, practically, you, and everyone around you, are aware of the fact that smoking is injurious to health. Even then, you just can’t stay away from this bad habit. Perhaps, you do not pay heed to the anti-smoking signs and commercials that spread awareness regarding the dangerous effects of tobacco on oral and overall health.

When you are browsing the Internet, you may come across this piece. As a chain smoker, you will definitely not take interest in going through it. But as the author of this blog post, I’ll certainly encourage you to read it, not for appreciating my writing skills but to know that your oral health is at high risk because of your love for cigarettes!

Smoking affects your oral health in six ways.

Oral cancer

Every puff of smoke enters your body affecting your lips, tongue, gums and teeth. Smoking is a major cause of oral cancer. Smokers of any age group may be diagnosed with oral cancer. Those who are over 60 have the highest possibility. High alcohol consumption and use of other tobacco products combined with smoking heighten the risks. Dentists are of opinion that in most cases, oral cancer is detected in its advanced stage when the chances of survival are very low.

Periodontal (gum) disease

Smokers are more susceptible to periodontal or gum disease. Smoking damages your gums in two different ways. Firstly, it generates more bacterial plaque in your mouth and your gums are under attack. Secondly, smoking lowers the oxygen levels in your blood. This slows the healing process as a result of which, your gums are infected and your body is unable to fight it.

Cavities

The plaque and gum problems are aggravated by smoking. So, it is quite obvious that there are higher risks of tooth decay. A smoker puts his or her mouth at risk for four times more compared to a non-smoker.

Stained and yellowish teeth

As long as you smoke, your dream of having a pearly white smile will always elude you. Well, the worst part is yet to come. After spending several years as a smoker, your teeth will show the signs of your chain-smoking habit in the form of permanent yellow stains. For your information, the staining is caused by tar and nicotine present in tobacco.

Bad breath

Smokers are hated for their bad breath. Even mints cannot help them to get rid of this tag. If you are an owner of this dreadful tag, you should know that when you smoke, around 4000 chemicals get inside your body and most of them accumulate on the inner surfaces of your mouth. The stinking smell of these chemicals pollutes your mouth causing bad breath.

Poor sense of taste  

So, for the last few days, you are not being able to enjoy your favorite dishes to the fullest. You are adding too much sugar or salt for a better taste. You don’t know the reasons for this sudden change of taste. Let me enlighten you on this aspect. This is one of the consequences of your several years of smoking. Extensive studies and research have shown that smokers suffer from a poor sense of taste.

There is only one solution to all these problems. You have to bid adieu to smoking. Do it and you’ll see the difference. It is difficult to get rid of it but you have to keep trying. It may take a few months to be successful. If you are determined and you really want to lead a healthy lifestyle, you can control your craving for cigarettes and tobacco and subsequently, do away with it forever.

Good news is that there are a lot of effective ways for turning smokers into non-smokers. Nicotine patch and certain medications for eradicating the habit are among them. Your dentist can also help you. If you underwent a dental cleaning session a few days ago, it is the best time to give up your smoking habit as your mouth feels clean and fresh.