You may have seen the warnings on cigarette packages: “Quitting smoking immediately reduces the factors that threaten your health”.
Which of the diseases associated with smoking comes to your mind?
Highly likely lung cancer. Maybe emphysema.
But did you know that 50 percent of gum diseases in smokers are caused by smoking?
Chronic gum diseases can cause you to lose your teeth completely.
“Studies show that tobacco use may be one of the biggest factors in the development of gum diseases” states. Gum disease is a bacterial infection. It is a disease that destroys the soft tissue and bone that hold your teeth to your jaw. Bacteria settle and develop in dental plaque in the spaces around your teeth. Thus, your body reacts to dental plaque and this causes soft tissues and bones to collapse. Studies show that smokers have more tartar than non-smokers. This may be caused by low saliva production. It is thought that the chemicals found in tobacco interfere with blood flow to the gums. And this slows down the healing process; It makes the results of treatment unpredictable and negative.
THE GUMS BEGIN TO COLLAPSE
In the early stages of the disease, you may notice that your teeth bleed while brushing or flossing. As the infection worsens, your gums begin to collapse. It pulls back from your teeth and produces cavities. Then, as the supporting structures in your mouth collapse one by one, the gap between your gums and teeth becomes deeper. And eventually your teeth become loose and you begin to experience aches and pains. In fact, your teeth may fall out completely.
While he stated that "Although smokers have poor oral health, they have less bleeding or redness in their gums", this situation actually misleads people about their dental health and that their teeth are healthy. and that is why smokers should have special oral and dental examinations. He emphasizes that it is very important for them to show their symptoms.
Using tobacco products can cause gum disease to worsen faster. Smokers have deeper spaces between their teeth and gums and are subject to more severe bone loss than non-smokers. Studies indicate that smokers are 3 to 6 times more at risk than non-smokers. The rate of severe bone loss is 5 times higher among smokers, ex-smokers and never smokers.
THE TREATMENT PROCESS IS DIFFICULT
Smoking only affects the gums. It not only increases your risk of disease, but also makes the treatment process very difficult. And it even reduces the chances of the treatment being successful. This is because smoking prevents your mouth from repairing itself. A study on this subject reveals that smokers are twice as likely to lose their teeth 5 years after gum treatment than non-smokers. In studies examining nonsurgical gum treatments, smokers show much less improvement than nonsmokers. Smokers also respond poorly to treatment with oral surgery. The failure rate of dental implants is much higher in smokers, because smoking significantly reduces bone healing.
Dental crowns and bridges look great when they are first placed. But smokers often lose this appearance, especially when the gums recede and the bone disappears. Popular cosmetic applications such as porcelain laminate cannot maintain its strength and beauty for a long time in smokers.
Smoking is not the only thing that contributes to gum disease. All tobacco products negatively affect gum health. These include pipes, smokeless tobacco and cigars. Labels on smoke-free products such as nicotine gums also state that such products cause oral cancer, gum disease or tooth loss. The only good news about smoking and oral health is that the Ministry of Health's warnings are correct. Quitting smoking immediately reduces the factors that threaten your health. According to a recently published study, smoking 11 years ago People who quit smoking have the same rate of dental disease as people who have never smoked. Even reducing the usage rate helps. A study on this subject reveals that the disease risk of those who smoke 1.5 packs of cigarettes a day is 6 times that of non-smokers, but that the risk of disease for those who smoke half a pack of cigarettes a day is 3 times.
ORAL CANCER OCCURS
Tobacco's biggest danger to your health may be its link to oral cancer. Smoking tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars and pipes can cause cancer in the mouth or the part of the throat located just in the pharynx of the mouth. It can also cause cancer of the larynx, esophagus, kidney, bladder and several other organs. Pipe smoking can also cause lip cancer where the pipe touches. According to the American Society for Cancer Research:
• 90 percent of people with mouth cancer and some types of throat cancer are smokers.
The risk of these cancers appearing in the body increases depending on the frequency of use of these products. Smokers are 6 times more at risk than non-smokers. It is stated that in 37 percent of patients who continue to smoke after cancer treatment, the cancer recurs and secondary mouth, throat and laryngeal cancer occurs. Smokeless tobacco is associated with cheek, gum and inner lip cancers. Smokeless tobacco increases the risk of this cancer by 50 times.
IMPLANT DISORDERS
Dental implants replace lost teeth. However, smokers should know that this procedure has the possibility of failure. Studies consistently show that implant defects are more common in smokers. However, those who are considering having implants should take this risk into consideration. It is very important to quit smoking before getting an implant. I recommend you get counseling and help about quitting.
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