It is almost April 1st and Spring is in the air. This is the time of year when flowers are blooming, the sun is shining, and unfortunately, many people have given up on their New Year’s resolutions from January 1st. If quitting smoking was one of your New Year’s resolutions this year and you have given up, you may want to reconsider. Smoking and any type of tobacco use can have devastating effects on your overall health. Most of us are aware at this point of the damage smoking can cause to your heart and lungs. However, the negative effects of smoking and tobacco use on your dental health are not as widely recognized.
Smoking negatively affects both the form and function of your smile. Smoking and tobacco use causes your teeth to become yellowed and stained and this type of discoloration is harder to remove with conventional teeth whitening methods. Smoking also increases your risk for periodontal disease, the leading cause of tooth loss. In addition, the damage that smoking causes to your gums, bone and tissue in your mouth can make it harder to replace your teeth with dental implants. Perhaps the most serious effect smoking and tobacco use can have on your dental health is to increase your risk for oral cancer. Oral cancer is a very serious disease and if it is not detected early and treated aggressively, is associated with high mortality rates.
If you have tried to quit smoking in the past without success, it is worth your dental health and your overall health to try again. Talk to your doctor today about how you can increase your chances of quitting smoking and tobacco use, for good. You can also contact the American Cancer Society to get more information about the smoking cessation resources they offer. Once you have quit smoking and/or using tobacco, visit Pure Dental Health in Atlanta to get information about our Whitening For Life program.
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