The Effects of Tobacco Use on Oral Health
How Tobacco Use affects our Oral Health
Most of us know that tobacco consumption is harmful to health. Here we’ll talk about how tobacco use affects our oral health. Some of the common oral health issues are as follows:
- Bad Breath
The smoke particles left behind after smoking a cigarette stay in the mouth for quite some time leading to bad breath, which is commonly called stale smoker’s breath. Smoking or chewing tobacco also decreases the flow of saliva. A dry mouth is a breeding ground for bacteria thereby causing bad breath.
- Tooth Discoloration
Nicotine is easily absorbed by your teeth. Although nicotine is colorless, it combines with oxygen to change the color of the teeth from white to yellow.
- Gum Disease
Smoking or chewing tobacco affects the attachment of the gums to the teeth. This is because the plaque formed near the gum line interferes with the gum tissue cells leaving your immune system compromised and making it harder for your body to fight off infections. The presence of nicotine reduces the blood flow to the gums, thus making you susceptible to oral infections
- Increased Chances of Developing Oral Cancer
Tobacco consumption contributes to 80 to 90% of diagnosed oral cancers. Therefore, mouth/jaw cancer is the number one reason why you should quit smoking or chewing tobacco. Constant use of tobacco means constant absorption and filtration into the system making way for mouth cancer to spawn.
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