Smoking/Tobacco & Your Health

You know that smoking is terrible for your health. You also know that it’s terrible for your oral health as well. You know that it causes terrible breath, tooth decay, gum diseases (gingivitis/periodontal conditions), and also lung/breathing problem as well. But, you still may wonder: How do I know if my smoking/tobacco habit has affected my oral health yet?

Some of the signs that your smoking/tobacco habits have caught up with you include: stained teeth/tongue, dulled senses of taste (when eating), slow healing after tooth extraction/surgery, difficulties in correcting cosmetic dental problems, gum disease, and even oral cancer.

Quitting smoking/tobacco is the best way to decrease your chances of having these oral health problems in the future. It’s the nicotine in many of the tobacco products that make quitting particularly difficult as its very addictive in nature. Write down a plan for quitting before you start so you visualize it and are able to hold yourself accountable. Nicotine chewing gums and patches may help some people. Other distractions to keep your hands and mind busy to distract from smoking may help others. It may take trial and error, but you have to find what works for you to keep you from considering going and trying more cigarettes. Talk to your dentist or doctor if you are serious about quitting for things that may help you kick the habit once and for all.

It’s been 50 years since the Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health was issued for the first time, and since then smoking and related illnesses have taken the lives of at least an estimated 20 million Americans since. Additionally, it’s estimated that additionally another 2.5 million have died because of living in households or close quarters with regular smokers and the related conditions.

Anyone can visit the Surgeon General’s website and see their easy-to-read, illustrated guide to the Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking & Health to get more information on how smoking is so harmful to someone. If you need more inspiration to quit, talk to your doctor as they will be able to offer tips and tricks to help you set up a lifestyle that is free of smoking and tobacco products that harm your health. It takes some determination in time, but anyone can indeed quit smoking and using harmful tobacco products in their lives. If you fail the first time, keep trying and in time you will succeed and have a healthier, happier life both dentally and physically because of it!

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about us visit us here or call us 909-465-1016. The Ramona Dentistry Team “Where Family Comes First”