Tobacco and Oral Health

Cigarette use

• Whether you smoke, dip or chew tobacco you are more likely to have periodontal disease-and to have it more severely- than those who do not use any form of tobacco.
• As a smoker, you are more likely that non-smokers to have calculus form on your teeth, have deeper pockets between your teeth and gums, and lose more of the bone and tissue that support teeth.
• If the calculus is not removed during a professional cleaning and it remains below your gumline, the bacteria in the calculus can destroy your gum tissue and cause your gums to pull away from your teeth.
• If this problem is left untreated you can cause disease bacteria to grow in your mouth, which can cause serious periodontal disease.
• The pockets between your teeth and gums can grow deeper, allowing more bacteria that destroy tissue and supporting bone.
• As a result the gums may shrink away from the teeth making them look longer.
• Research shows that smokers lose more teeth than non-smokers.

Chewing Tobacco Use

• As a user of smokeless tobacco, your gums are more likely to recede, and you have a greater chance of losing the bone and fibers that hold your teeth in your mouth.
• If your gums recede to the point where the tooth roots are exposed, your teeth may become susceptible to root cavities or sensitive to cold and touch.
• These problems associated with tobacco use of any kind, are caused by the many chemicals such as nicotine and tar, in tobacco.
• Things like tar and nicotine can cause an increase in the accumulation of plaque and calculus that can irritate your gums and lead to infection.

Research Shows……………….that many of the following problems occur with people who use tobacco.

• Oral cancer
• Bad breath
• Stained teeth
• Tooth loss
• Bone loss
• Loss of taste and smell
• Less success with periodontal treatment
• Less success with dental implants
• Gum recession
• Mouth sores