Smoking Tobacco
Smoking tobacco products are widely known to cause problems deeper in the system, like the lungs and throat. However, they can still manifest themselves orally as well. Smoking causes discoloration of the teeth, gum disease, and increase the risk of oral cancer.
Teeth discoloration from smoking can partially be compensated for by using whitening products, but the drying out that occurs during the staining process can leave the teeth more brittle and prone to breaking.
Gum disease is caused by smoking as the toxins constrict the blood vessels in the gum tissue, reducing the blood flow to them. This decreases your gums ability to repair itself and withstand trauma. Quitting smoking will allow the gum tissue to heal and regain its regenerative capability. However, reversing the damage done by the gum disease during the years of smoking often requires gum surgery, and in many cases, is not correctable at all.
Oral cancer from smoking will often occur on the lip where the pipe or cigarette is held. It will also occur in the throat or back of the mouth. Oral cancer is very aggressive due to the naturally high turn over rate of oral tissue. This is why every routine exam at My Family Dentist includes an examination for oral cancer. This is also why all individuals should have regular exams no more than a year apart, even if you have no teeth.
