Smoking effects on oral health

I am sure we are all aware of the health risks that smoking can have on our general health. Smoking can lead to many different diseases, some of which can be life threatening, but, what problems can it cause in the mouth?
 
Firstly, smoking reduces the amount of oxygen in your blood stream which can make it difficult for your gums to heal if they become infected or if you have gum disease. Gum disease can also progress at a faster rate in smokers than in non-smokers. Smoking can also cause bad breath, staining on the teeth and even reduce your sense of taste and smell.
 
Smoking can delay healing after surgery in the mouth, for example, after an extraction, dental implant, or after treatment for gum disease. If healing becomes delayed in the mouth then this can risk infection of the healing site.
 
Smoking increases your risk of developing oral cancer. Oral cancer can occur anywhere within the oral cavity, such as the lips, palate, tongue and throat. If you notice a suspicious lesion in your mouth such as an ulcer that isn’t healing, then I would recommend contacting your dentist or GP as soon as possible.
 
Quitting smoking can be very difficult due to the addiction to nicotine. The benefits of quitting though are important in improving your oral health as well as your general health. Here is a couple of ways that can help you to quit smoking:

•  Gradually reducing the amount of cigarettes that you smoke by slowly increasing the time between each cigarette.
• Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is available in the form of patches, chewing gum, inhalers, lozenges and nasal sprays. Speak to your pharmacist about the options of using some of these in combination with one another. 
• Prescription medications. Speak to your GP about certain medications that can help to reduce the withdrawal symptoms of smoking.

 
If you have any questions or concerns in regards to your mouth or oral health, feel free to give us a call on 08 9321 6928, we are always happy to help!