Tobacco: Harmful at Any Age

It has been generally recognized that smoking is bad for your overall health. Second-hand smoke has also been identified as a health hazard. Studies have also shown that tobacco use also is a significant factor in dental disease and harmful to your oral health.

Because tobacco use has been conclusively shown to be an addiction, curtailing or ceasing the use of tobacco is an arduous procedure, one that unfortunately often fails. With that in mind, the best approach is prevention. Our public education system is mandated to explain the harmful and sometimes lethal effects of tobacco use to school children, in the hope that education will decrease the numbers of children who start smoking. The “Do Not Smoke” battle is one that parents need to reinforce at home.

The harmful effects of smokeless tobacco, such as snuff or chewing tobacco, are not by any means a viable alternative to smoking. It brings with it adverse effects on both dental and general health as it seems to actually deliver more nicotine than smoking tobacco. Of the approximately 8,000 people who die every year from using smokeless tobacco, 70% percent die of oral cancer.

Smokers should be especially wary of the most common sign of cancerous conditions that manifest as red sores and/or white scaly patches or lesions inside the mouth or lips. White or red sores that appear and do not heal, should be a warning signal for you to see your dentist immediately. Unfortunately, precancerous lesions are virtually undetectable, so it is especially important to include oral cancer checks as part of your regular dental visits, so that your dentist may be able make a diagnose before the condition develops becomes oral cancer.

Even if it does not prove to be lethal, tobacco use, of any kind, at the very least, causes bad breath, discoloration of the teeth and an increase in gum disease. Periodontal disease, it should be noted is the primary cause of tooth loss in adults. In addition, studies have found that tobacco users experience a decrease in their senses of smell and taste and a higher incidence of sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures.

For the tobacco user who has recognized and wants to overcome his or her addiction, there are many options. Your dentist can be a partner in the process, which may begin with a thorough exam that includes cleaning your teeth and addressing the problem of bad breath and puffy, swollen gums that are almost always associated with tobacco use. Your dentist may prescribe one of several nicotine replacement therapies, such as a transdermal nicotine patch or chewing gum. Of course, you may also consult your physician for advice on what tobacco cessation program is best for you. Surprisingly, the most successful of all the therapies is stopping "cold turkey," however you stop, you’ll be doing your entire body, including your teeth and gums, a world of good.

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