How oral health is affected by smoking and tobacco?

The link between dangerous health issues and smoking is documented very well in medical literature. It is very well known and understood that the use of tobacco leads to several harmful diseases and health issues which includes cancer, respiratory diseases, pregnancy complications and also diabetes. Not only this, tobacco and smoking also increases the risk of various diseases on gums (periodontal) said by Coral Springs dentist and only few numbers of people understand this really. 

The use of excessive tobacco also causes dry mouth (xerostomia). In this condition, the gums and teeth of a person are left vulnerable to the bacteria’s onslaught. Very less number of people understand and are aware of risks caused due to smoking and tobacco on the oral health of a person. 

There are several ways in which use of tobacco can affect the oral health of a person as explained by Coral Springs dentist. These are inter-related:

Dry mouth and smoking: The use of tobacco causes xerostomia. The dry mouth and smoking can also lead to developing of acute and chronic bacterial infections. The infection occurs on the gums which surrounds jaw bone and the teeth. This condition is known as periodontitis. 

Oral Healing and smoking: The blood gets thickened by smoking which impedes the blood’s flow to gums and teeth. This slows the healing rate in the mouth which is a major problem and also stops the supply of nutrients to gums and teeth. Hence, it makes the gum and teeth weaker. 

Oral inflammation and smoking: The soft tissues present in the mouth get irritated by smoking which includes gums, inner cheeks, the soft and hard palate and even the tongue. The response of the body to this irritation caused by smoking is inflammation which increases the risk of mouth cancer. 

Coral Springs Dentist’s final note:

There would have been very few people in the world who would have been smoking if it was easy to quit tobacco. The addiction of smoking is psychological which makes it difficult for a person to quit. The use of tobacco and smoking can substantially shorten your life says Coral Springs dentist.