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How Does Smoking Affect Your Gums and Teeth?

One of the easiest ways to identify a smoker is by his teeth. The nicotine in tobacco causes brown staining that is almost unmistakable. This discolouration becomes progressively worse and is difficult to remove with brushing alone. In fact, the stains can penetrate into the core of the teeth, at which time they may become permanent.

Believe it or not, that is not the worst of it. It is reliably estimated that over half of the cases of periodontal or gum disease are due to smoking. What actually happens is that the bacteria introduced by the tobacco begin to feed on the plaque on your teeth. In time, the bacteria propagate and may result in serious infections.

Few people are aware of the fact that gum disease is so common in smokers. Fewer still are aware of the fact that smoking is one of the leading causes of dental extractions. That's right! When gums become infected they tend to pull away from the teeth, which weaken the roots and cause instability. Gums and Teeth must then be examined by a dentist, who often insists upon extraction.

But that's not all! Smoking also causes bad breath and irritation in the mouth. As any inveterate smoker will tell you, the roof of their mouths often get sore because the salivary glands get clogged by the 4000 plus chemicals in the smoke. This tends to cause irritation, inflammation and occasionally serious infections.

Though we know that smokeless tobacco is more dangerous when it comes to oral cancer, cigarettes also increase the risk of the disease by as much as fifty percent. But in the end, it is really the risk of gum disease and dental extraction that should concern smokers who are worried about their oral health.