SMOKING AND ORAL HEALTH

Though the number of smokers has fallen slightly during the last years, there is still a great amount of people who smoke in Spain. But what is more revealing is that there is a high percentage of young smokers. For this reason, smoking is a major threat to public health, also affecting oral health.

Tobacco does not only affect our oral health, since it also harms our immune system and it is directly related to more than 50 serious diseases. This post will be focused on the effects of smoking in our oral health.

Its many noxious substances, together with the heat generated in the oral cavity when smoking, can provoke various oral alterations, among which we can identify:

• The outcome of dental caries caused by changes in bacterial flora and the salivary gland as a consequence of smoking.
• Periodontal diseases: gingivitis, periodontitis and periimplantitis.
• Oral thrush
• Halitosis
• Loss of smell, loss of taste
• Decrease in saliva production and changes in composition
• Precancerous lesions and oral cancer
• Difficulty in healing oral wounds
• Teeth stains

Of course, the best and only way to prevent these pathologies is to quit smoking. Those who quit smoking feel the benefits in the short run, for example:

• After 30 minutes: the heart rate and blood pressure drops and return to normal.
• After 8 hours: blood oxygen levels return to normal; this reduces the possibility of having a heart attack, as well as it increases the possibility of having a potential recovery from smoking diseases.
• After 48 hours: nicotine is cleansed from the body; people may notice a heightened sense of smell and more vivid tastes.
• After 3 days: lung function starts to improve thanks to the relaxation of the bronchial tubes.
• After 3 weeks: less coughing.
• After 2 months: people will feel leaner and energetic.
• After 3 months: lungs capacity improves.
• After 1 year: the risk for coronary heart disease decreases by 50%.
• After 10 years: the risk for suffering a heart attack equate to a non-smoking person; moreover, the risk of suffering lung cancer decreases to half.

All these benefits contribute to maintaining a good dental health. Do you need to quit smoking? Do it for your health and feel free to ask us for help!