Smoking – A Cause for Concern

How the smoking habit can play havoc with your oral health.

Although long term information and advice to help people stop smoking has had a positive effect, with less people now smoking; it hasn’t been entirely successful. Although less so in public, many people do still smoke in their own homes and continue to lay themselves open to the associated risks.

Whilst this may be less of a problem for others when it comes to issues such as secondary smoke, the fact is that those still smoking risk serious damage to their personal health. This not only applies to the heart and lungs, but also to the oral area which includes the teeth and gums.

Oral cancer

The most serious oral health risk increased by smoking is that of oral cancer. Whilst this can be treated, the fact is that a significant number of people do die from it each year. Whilst other factors can also affect the risk of cancer in this area, smoking is certainly a key habit which greatly increases the risk.

Whether you smoke or not, regular examinations at the Smile Dental Practice in Bromley will help our dental team monitor your oral health and alert you to any potential problems that they find. Oral cancer especially, can be caught early this way, enabling fast treatment for a better outcome.

Gum disease

Whilst smoking alone can give you unpleasant breath, the dry mouth that many smokers suffer from also allows the growth of the gingival bacteria which are associated with gum disease and contribute to this anti social problem. Not only is the increase in these bacteria likely to cause halitosis (bad breath), but can also have a serious adverse effect on your gums and teeth.

Whilst sore or bleeding gums can be uncomfortable and unpleasant, it is the advanced stage, often called periodontitis, which gives the most cause for concern.

At this stage, not only the gums are attacked, but the jaw bone also. When this occurs, the bone deteriorates to the point where it is no longer capable of holding the teeth in place and is likely to lead to tooth loss.

Dental implant risk

For anyone considering dental implants, it is important to be aware of the problems that smoking can cause in relation to them. Because gum disease and potential bone loss is more likely to occur in smokers, the dental implants that you have had placed by our Bromley implant dentist, could lose security as the bone degrades. The risk of infection too is also heightened and a longer recovery period may also apply.

For this reason, at the Smile Dental Practice, we always recommend that patients stop smoking, at least for a period of time either side of the implant procedure, though preferably, of course,  for good.

If you are a smoker and would like advice about your teeth or gums, why not call us on 020 8462 2473 and arrange an appointment.