Smoking and your Oral Health

If you are a smoker, you partake in a habit as villainous as a diet high in fat, never exercising, or allowing yourself a massively stressful life. All of these things are undeniably dangerous to your health, and smoking is no exception. Tobacco use not only causes cancer, but also gives you foul breath and deep stains on your teeth.

Tooth Loss and Tobacco

The Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) has stated that smokers will lose two permanent teeth every ten years on average. Smoking wreaks havoc on both your teeth and gums, depriving your blood of oxygen. The irritation caused by tobacco use can lead to periodontal (gum) disease. When gum disease becomes severe, it’s called periodontitis. This level of gum disease is the biggest cause of tooth loss. Furthermore, smokers tend to have a much harder time recovering from oral surgeries. Your teeth take a beating from all of that exposure to smoke, tobacco, and other chemicals.

Oral Cancer and Smoking

Meanwhile, oral cancer is a well-known complication of smoking. Most people are well aware that smoking is a major contributor to lung cancer, but this isn’t the only malignancy smokers should feel concerned about. According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, 8,000 deaths in America occur every single year from oral cancer (often linked to smoking). Your mouth is home to many odd bumps and lesions which are usually harmless. Examples are canker sores, cuts, irritation from accidentally biting gingival tissue when you’re eating or chewing gum. This is what makes preventive dental care so important. Oral cancer screenings are a regular part of going to visit the Drs. Loukas for preventive checkups every six months. An early diagnosis greatly improves the potential for successful treatment and survival of oral cancer. But quitting smoking before you have cancer is another great prevention tool.

About Loukas Dentistry Of Park Ridge

Dr. Maria and Dr. Thanasi Loukas are highly-skilled restorative, cosmetic, and implant dentists serving the Park Ridge and surrounding Chicago communities. To schedule an appointment, call Loukas General Dentistry today at (847) 696-1919.