How Bad Is Tobacco For My Oral Health?

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Everyone should know how bad tobacco products are for your overall health, as just about every one of us went through health class in middle school and witnessed the smoking demonstrations by your health teacher. However, it is often overlooked at how tobacco affects your oral health and the effects on your general health is so severe. We are going to explain how all forms of tobacco are bad for your oral health whether your tobacco of choice is from cigarettes, e-cigarettes, chewing tobacco or vaping. All of these forms of tobacco use are detrimental to the success of your smile.

What Is The Worst That Can Happen?

  • Tooth Wear
    • Whether you choose cigarettes, cigars, or chewing tobacco, they all feature abrasive materials that wear down your tooth enamel quickly. The wrappers on cigarettes and cigars are abrasive and rest on your teeth when smoking causing unnecessary wear on your teeth and their enamel.
  • Gum Disease
    • Gingivitis is one of the most common forms of gum diseases. Just about everyone will get gingivitis at some point in their lifetime which is the beginning stages of gum disease. Even though gingivitis is painless and completely reversible, smoking negatively impacts your immune system which is used to fight infections. Smoking will make is much more difficult for your body to fight and reverse the effects of gingivitis in your mouth.
  • Bad Breath / Stains
    • Even if would put aside the very serious health conditions that smoking will cause, the cosmetic issues alone should be reason enough for you to never start or to quit immediately. The stains from tobacco products are extremely difficult to remove even with professional treatments. Couple that with halitosis, which a fancy word for bad breath. Now, when we say bad breath, we don’t mean just had a fresh Italian dinner that features garlic in the sauce. We are talking about chronic bad breath that will cause people to turn the other way when you are speaking to them. This can not only be humiliating but can also ruin social occasions such as dating or even meetings at work.

Schedule An Appointment

Dr. O’Malley welcomes new patients from Simpsonville, Greenville, and many surrounding communities. To schedule an appointment and discuss what tobacco products can do to your oral health or if you would like some assistance with quitting, contact us at 864-962-7672 or request an appointment online.