Let us begin by making an uncontroversial statement: cigarettes are bad for your health. Smoking is harmful to virtually every organ in your body, including your heart, lungs, bones, bladder and stomach. But we are All About Teeth, so we will stay true to our name by focusing squarely on the harm smoking can do to your irreplaceable incisors, cuspids, premolars and molars.
You’ve surely noticed that long-term smokers frequently have stained and missing teeth. It’s easy to assume that their habit is responsible for the unfortunate state of their smiles. But what exactly do cigarettes do that makes them so bad for teeth?
Why Do Cigarettes Make Teeth Yellow?
Take a look at this photo of a smoker’s curtains after they were dunked in a bathtub. Once they were steeped in water, the curtains let loose much of the sticky brown tar they had accumulated over the years.
Tar adheres to surfaces indiscriminately. The sticky organic substance is just as capable of affixing itself to tooth enamel as any other substance. Brushing with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide can help to lighten teeth after they have been stained by tar, but it is seldom enough to fully restore teeth’s pearly white sheen.
Tar is not the only reason why cigarette smoke stains teeth. Nicotine, which is the natural chemical tobacco contains that makes it addictive, becomes lodged in tooth enamel as well. Exposure to oxygen gradually turns nicotine (and whichever teeth it coats) yellow!
Why Do Cigarettes Make Teeth Fall Out?
Smoking impairs your body’s ability to create saliva, and also impacts the quality of what little saliva you are able to produce. Lower quantities of less effective saliva will allow oral bacteria to cling to your teeth where they can create plaque that gradually turns into tartar. The hard substance makes it difficult to clean your teeth, which in turn increases your risk of developing cavities – and cavities, when they aren’t treated, often lead to tooth loss.
But that isn’t the only reason why smoking can cost you your teeth. Nicotine causes blood vessels to constrict, which limits the amount of blood that can flow to your organs. Your gums aren’t exempt from this phenomenon, which is why smokers’ gums have greater difficulty healing and fighting off bacteria than those of nonsmokers. If gums become heavily infected by bacteria, they will allow the infection to run even deeper by slowly pulling away from teeth. When gum disease (also known as periodontitis) progresses to this stage, it is common for teeth to loosen and fall out.
At this point we must note that cigarettes aren’t the only form of tobacco which causes yellowing of the teeth and tooth loss. Cigars, pipes and smokeless tobacco (i.e. dip) can all prove equally harmful to your oral health!
Other Ways Cigarettes Harm Oral Health
Your teeth aren’t the only part of your mouth you can jeopardize by smoking!
Halitosis is more commonly known as bad breath. It can be caused by poor oral hygiene, dry mouth, and eating certain foods (you already know which ones). Smoking will give you bad breath as well – especially if it causes gum disease.
Oral cancer is any cancer that develops within the mouth, including the tongue, gums and lips. If you are a smoker, your risk of developing oral cancer is five to ten times higher than that of someone who has never smoked – but you can only decrease your chances of oral cancer by quitting today.
Leukoplakia is an oral disease in which thick, white patches appear on the gums, bottom of the mouth and tongue, as well as inside the cheeks. The cause of leukoplakia is as yet unknown, but smokers are more likely to suffer from the condition. Leukoplakia patches occasionally show early signs of cancer, so it is best to seek medical attention if you notice them in your mouth.
Black hairy tongue is one of the most unpleasantly named health conditions. It is caused when the longer papillae of the tongue become stained with tar or other substances, and gives the tongue precisely the appearance you would imagine. Black hairy tongue is harmless, and is most effectively treated by practicing better oral hygiene and eliminating exposure to whichever substances caused it.
Have years of smoking caused your teeth to yellow or loosen? Have you noticed symptoms that may be attributable to gum disease or oral cancer? No matter your oral health needs, we welcome you to contact All About Teeth in Logan, Utah today. Dr. Corey Hogge and our team are always standing by to ensure that you enjoy your absolute best dental health!
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