From causing severe cardiovascular issues including heart disease, stroke, and blood clots to cancer of the lungs and throat, smoking harms nearly every part of the body. Smoking is often fatal, and is among the leading causes of preventable deaths in the U.S., with Oklahoma in particular claiming one of the highest percentages of smoking-related deaths.
The mouth is especially susceptible to harmful effects of smoking. Your gums, teeth, tongue, and oral tissues, as well as the ability of your mouth to heal, can suffer significant damage from the chemicals found in cigarettes. And, because the health of your mouth is often indicative of the overall health of your body, it’s just as important to take care of.
At Dental Depot of Oklahoma, we’re committed to helping people achieve their best overall health, and that means helping them take care of their oral health with comprehensive, compassionate, and commonsense care. From regular cleanings and oral exams to restorative services and smoking cessation support, Dental Depot of Oklahoma provides the care you need for a smile you are proud to show off.
Smoking is harmful to the mouth because it causes a restriction of oxygen in the bloodstream, and the healthy functioning of the cardiovascular system is critical to all parts of the body, even the mouth. When the gums aren’t getting properly oxygenated blood flow, they won’t heal quickly or efficiently.
Smoking can also lead to gum disease. Gum disease occurs when bacteria hardens into plaque at the gum line. It is an infection that causes damage not only to the teeth but also the soft tissues surrounding them. These tissues hold your teeth in place and prevent bacteria from reaching the root. When this protective barrier is compromised due to poor oral hygiene and weak gums, the teeth and roots become increasingly vulnerable to decay and infection and are more likely to fall out of their sockets.
The nicotine in cigarettes can cause deep yellow and brown staining in the enamel of the teeth, and these stains often don’t respond well to teeth whitening procedures.
Tooth loss is another significant concern because it is a potential side effect of gum disease, a common condition in smokers. When bacteria remains on a tooth for an extended period of time, it hardens into a substance called plaque. Because smoking prevents your mouth from effectively fighting off infections and keeps you from producing enough saliva to help keep bacteria rinsed out of your mouth, plaque easily builds up and causes tiny erosions on the surface of the tooth called cavities. Cavities and tooth decay, especially when combined with gum disease, can compromise the strength of the tooth and cause erosion near the root of the tooth. This can lead to severe infections that require root canals, tooth extraction, and restorative surgeries to repair bone loss in the jaw.
Smoking cigarettes can also affect your tongue. Not only will smoking dull your sense of taste and smell, but it can lead to conditions like smoker’s tongue (also known as black hairy tongue). This condition develops as dead skin cells accumulate on the papillae, which are your taste buds, turning them black, green, brown, or yellow. While smoker’s tongue isn’t painful, it can be embarrassing and cause bad breath, and it will not improve as long as you smoke. However, once you stop smoking, the discoloration will fade and your tongue can return to its natural, healthy state.
Leukoplakia is another serious condition that can affect the tongue. This condition develops when debris, bacteria and/or dead skin cells become trapped between the taste buds and begin to accumulate. This buildup can become infected when it is irritated on a regular basis and can be very difficult to remove, requiring a doctor’s visit to have it lasered, frozen, or scraped off. You will also need to monitor your tongue in the future, since leukoplakia is likely to return, requiring further treatment.
With an increased risk of gum disease and tooth decay comes an increased chance that you’ll require a procedure to remove an infection. This is problematic because healing from dental procedures requires a healthy amount of blood flow to the damaged area. The nicotine in cigarettes causes arteries to narrow, limiting their ability to bring blood and nutrients to a wound, preventing it from healing properly.
Access to dental procedures such as root canals, tooth extractions or implants may be challenging because wound care and healing are critical to success. Without the body’s natural ability to assist in healings, your dentist may be forced to proceed with caution or delay necessary treatments.
Nicotinic stomatitis, where the hard palate (or roof of your mouth) turns white instead of pink. Irritated and inflamed salivary glands will appear as small raised areas with red centers on the palate. Nicotinic stomatitis can increase your risk of cancer in the lungs, posterior mouth, and tonsils.
Smoker’s melanosis, which is essentially a darkening or discoloration of tissue pigmentation in the gums of the upper and lower front teeth. Tissue pigmentation will increase with tobacco use and is more common in women than in men.
Smoking is also a leading cause of oral cancer, and according to the Mouth Cancer Foundation, 90% of people with mouth cancer are regular tobacco users. Oral cancer develops because the cells in the mouth develop mutations in the DNA. DNA is responsible for telling the cells how to grow. Smoking kills the healthy cells in the mouth, allowing mutated cells to continue dividing and multiplying, resulting in a tumor.
Oral cancer is a very preventable disease and can respond well to treatment if diagnosed early. If you are experiencing mouth pain and difficulty swallowing, notice a sore that won’t heal, a white or red patch on the soft tissues of the mouth, or lose teeth, call your dentist immediately.
While vaping and e-cigarettes eliminate the smoke and burning associated with traditional smoking, the same chemical reactions are occuring in your mouth as when cigarettes are inhaled. They also emit aerosols or vapors (which contain similar chemicals as cigarettes) that are inhaled, contributing to an increased accumulation of bacteria in the mouth and higher risks of infection, cavities, and gum disease.
Gum disease, oral cancers, tooth decay, tooth loss and complications during recovery from oral procedures are all serious side effects of smoking, but they are largely preventable. If you smoke, the best way to preserve your oral health is to stop smoking. However, quitting can be difficult on your own; it’s important to make sure you have plenty of help and support when you are ready to quit.
OKhelpline.com, a service of the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline, offers access to:
Friends and loved ones of smokers can also find resources here, under “Support a Quitter.”
Stopswithme.com is a resource offering Oklahomans a way to get involved in tobacco prevention. This website provides access to:
Soonerquit.com is a program that was created using a TSET grant. It is an array of resources all collected in one place to equip Oklahomans with every possible tool to combat smoking addiction. Here you’ll find information on:
At Dental Depot of Oklahoma, we want you to have more than a healthier mouth; we want you to have a healthier life. That’s why we’re committed to providing affordable, comprehensive dental care to communities across the state, and we do it with professionalism and compassion. When you visit any of our Oklahoma Dental Depot locations, you can trust that you’ll be treated with the respect and understanding you deserve, no matter your smile.
If you or a loved one are concerned about the impact smoking may be having on your oral health, schedule a consultation at the Dental Depot location nearest you. We understand how challenging it is to quit smoking, and we’re here to support you with the services, resources, and care you need for the healthiest smile possible.