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Talk To Your Pasadena Dentist about Smoking and Oral Health

Talk To Your Pasadena Dentist about Smoking and Oral Health

Dr. Paul Shinto and his team understand that most smokers know the health risks when they light up a cigar or cigarette, but smoking can also cause significant damage to your teeth and gums. If you think you are safe when you head to the Hookah bar for a night out, or open a can of smokeless tobacco, think again and talk to your Pasadena dentist about quitting.

According to Web MD, smoking can have oral health consequences such as:

  • Tooth discoloration
  • Bad Breath
  • An increase in tarter and plaque
  • A delay in the healing process following oral surgery, tooth extraction and other treatments
  • Increased risk of jaw bone loss
  • Lower success rate for dental implants
  • An increase in oral cancer

Your Pasadena dentist and the team of professionals from Paul P. Shinto D.D.S. will tell you that all tobacco products can eventually cause gum disease as smoking affects the soft tissue and bone attachment. Research shows that smoking can actually interfere with gum tissue cells. This literally means that smokers are much more susceptible to periodontal disease and tooth and gum infections.

Cigars and Cigarettes

Cigars and cigarettes contain toxins that are associated with all types of cancer. Even if you do not inhale, you are still at risk of developing periodontal disease and oral cancer. Smoking can also interfere with your sense of taste and smell.

Smokeless Tobacco

Smokeless tobacco contains more nicotine than cigarettes. In fact, more than 28 chemicals that lead to cancer have been identified in smokeless tobacco. Smokeless tobacco can also irritate the gum tissue, which will cause it to pull away or recede from your teeth. Once that occurs the roots of your teeth will become exposed causing an increase in tooth decay.

Hookah Water Pipes

Hookah water pipes have been popular in the Middle East for centuries and are becoming increasingly popular here in the United States. Unfortunately, the water in the Hookah pipe will not filter the harmful toxins, and because people tend to smoke more, Hookah pipes can be just as bad if not worse than cigarettes.

Recent studies show that smoking leads to bone loss and oral tissue loss. People who smoke are also more likely to develop periodontal disease. If you have been thinking about dental implants, talk to your Pasadena dentist who will recommend that you quit the habit before you have dental implants, or any other dental procedure.

Quitting isn’t easy, but there are several programs available that will help you quit the habit. If you are unsure, schedule an appointment and talk to your Pasadena dentist about the dangers of smoking and oral health.