How Tobacco Affects Your Dental Health

Tobacco is widely known as a deadly product. There isn’t anything like tobacco that affects the overall human health so adversely. Along with ruining the respiratory system, tobacco chewing or smoking also affects the oral health. General dentist Edmonton suggests that one must give up on smoking cigarettes, chewing tobacco, or it’s consumption in any way. Let us look at why mosts dentists recommend the same and what ill-effects tobacco consumption has on your dental health.

Triggers Bad Breath

Tar, nicotine and other harmful compounds present in tobacco come in contact with oxygen when you inhale or chew it. The substance created due to this reaction remains in your mouth and causes prolonged bad breath. This bad breath is different from that caused due to plaque build-up but is equally unpleasant. Bad breath cannot be easily treated if you regularly consume or smoke tobacco. Tobacco consumption also leads to dry mouth (xerostomia) that further results in bad breath (halitosis).

Stains Teeth

Cigars, cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and unprocessed tobacco leaves used as cigar wrappers contain tiny particles that are abrasive on your teeth. When mixed with saliva or exposed to oxygen, an abrasive compound is created. In the case of chewing tobacco, an abrasive paste is formed in your mouth. This paste stains your teeth and eventually results in the tooth enamel eroding. This is the reason why most smokers and tobacco chewers have brownish black or grayish spots on their dental surfaces.

Promotes Plaque Buildup and Tooth Decay

Smoking cigarettes or chewing tobacco increases the bacterial build-up in your mouth. These harmful bacteria are responsible for forming layers of calculus or plaque build-ups on the surface of your teeth. These bacterial biofilms stick to the surfaces of your teeth and harden into tartar if not cleaned properly. Tartar slowly erodes the tooth enamel and teeth structure and causes numerous dental problems such as decays, cavities, teeth sensitivity, loss of jaw bone, and so on.

Apart from dental health, tobacco consumption affects the overall oral health. The habit diminishes the sense of taste, loosens gum’s grip on teeth, and eventually leads to gum diseases. The use of tobacco, especially smokeless tobacco, increases the risk of oral cancer as well. Regular consumption of tobacco affects your blood vessels and immunity and slows down the disease or wound healing capacity in your mouth.

With so many drawbacks to tobacco, think twice before consuming it again. If you are a regular smoker or chew tobacco too often, think about quitting it and visit the general dentist Edmonton to reverse the damage caused due to it. There are a number of ways to quit tobacco consumption. If you are a tobacco user, there’s no time like the present to quit.