How Smoking Impacts Your Oral Health
Thanks to warning labels, billboards and public service announcements, tobacco smoke’s detrimental effects on the body should be common knowledge these days. However, our Mason family dentistry would like to reaffirm the message that beyond maladies of the throat and lungs, smoking is a dangerous habit that puts your oral health at high risk.
There are more than 4,800 chemicals in every puff of cigarette smoke, 69 of which have been found to cause cancer. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), smoking is directly related to 90% of all lung cancer deaths and is generally responsible for one in every five American deaths each year.
In addition to harming almost every organ of the body, smoking inhibits blood flow to your gums, reduces gum-nourishing vitamin C levels and diminishes saliva production, which is vital for tooth and gum health.
Smoking increases your risk for:
- Mouth cancer.
- Throat cancer.
- Gum disease.
- Receding gums.
- Tooth decay.
- Poor healing after oral surgery.
- Failed dental implants.
- Bad breath.
- Stained teeth and tongue.
- A dulled sense of taste and smell.
- Bone loss and tooth loss.
- Delayed tooth adjustment with orthodontic work.
At Hardin Advanced Dentistry, we realize that your general health and your oral health are not two separate entities. We are determined to help our patients achieve whole body wellness through our commitment to strong, healthy smiles and overall oral health.
If you smoke, the time to quit is now. The Ohio Tobacco Quit Line can help you get started, and the compassionate staff at our Mason Family Dentistry can help you begin your path back to a healthy mouth.
If you would like to learn how Dr. Hardin can help address smoking’s effects on your oral structure, please call (513) 234-5531 or complete the form on this page to schedule an appointment. Hardin Advanced Dentistry serves patients throughout the Greater Cincinnati area, including Dayton and Mason, Ohio, in addition to Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana.
