New York City is known for its health-conscious trends, and great healthcare options are available in this city. However, one of the most common threats to oral health affecting many people is smoking which persists in New Yorkers, explains a family dentist in Upper East Side, New York. Although smoking is an increasingly taboo habit with serious implications for overall and oral health, it remains quite common. In this blog post, we will delve into the many negative effects of smoking on oral health and explain why kicking the habit is essential in New York.
Hazardous Components Related to Tobacco
Tobacco smoke has over 7,000 chemicals, and most of them are poisonous. The key hazardous components include:
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Nicotine:
It is addictive which is the reason why quitting is so hard.
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Tar:
A tarry substance that covers (coats) the lungs.
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Carbon Monoxide:
A poisonous gas that robs the blood of that essential element, oxygen.
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Carcinogens:
Chemicals that can promote or induce cancer.
These substances do more than just attack your lungs and heart, they work heavily AGAINST the health of your mouth too.
Immediate Effect on Dental Health
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Staining on teeth:
Nicotine and tar, two of tobacco’s ingredients, can change teeth to yellow or brown. It can be challenging to remove this staining as it is so ingrained.
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Bad Breath:
Because you have to inhale particles and chemicals in tobacco and because you develop a dry mouth, smoking can also make you maintain bad breath all the time.
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Dry Mouth:
Smoking decreases the flow of saliva resulting in dry mouth and this can lead to tooth decay and gum disease.
What are the Long-Term Effects on Oral Health
Gum Disease:
Smokers have a significant risk of developing gum disease as compared to the case with non-smokers. The chemicals in tobacco affect the normal function of cells in the gum tissue, making smokers more vulnerable to gum infections, while decreasing blood flow to the gums.
Periodontitis:
It is a serious gum infection that can damage the soft tissue and destroy the bone that supports your teeth which can result in tooth loss.
Tooth Decay:
The decreased flow of saliva in smokers’ mouths and all of the harmful bacteria that is present in their mouths increases the risk of tooth decay.
Mutations:
Smoking is a leading cause of oral cancer. Smoking also contains cancer-causing chemicals that, when breathed in, cause mutations in cells lining the mouth, lips, tongue, and throat, greatly increasing the risk of cancer development in these areas.
Healing Delays:
After you have a dental procedure, such as an extraction, implant, or even gum surgery, it will take someone who smokes a lot longer to heal than it would take someone who smokes a lot less – or does not smoke at all. This is because the blood flow and the oxygen in your oral tissues have decreased.
Loss of Taste and Smell:
In rare cases, it can dull your senses of taste and smell so that it becomes less enjoyable to eat and drink.
Smoking and Dental Implants
Smoking poses additional challenges for dental implants in New York because smoking causes slower healing processes along with inhibiting the blood flow it can result in a decreased success rate of dental implants by increasing the risk of infection
Not only does smoking take a toll on oral health, leading to teeth stains, bad breath, gum disease, tooth decay, and, in the long term, oral cancer, but it also slows down healing. While most patients understand the consequences of smoking on their oral hygiene, it needs of course to be repeated with New Yorkers.
Stopping smoking is the single best thing you can do to protect your oral health and your health as a whole. As long as you have access to the wealth of healthcare resources and support available in the New York area, you can break the habit of smoking and get that beautiful smile back. If you are an individual who smokes, then it is time for you to get some help and create the changes to positively influence your oral health.
