How Does Smoking Affect Your Oral Health?

How Does Smoking Affect Your Oral Health?: Cigarette smoking is known to cause a number of adverse effects on health, with the National Institute on Drug Abuse citing lung cancer as one of the foremost consequences.

Apart from being linked to almost 90% of all lung cancer cases, smoking is also connected to other health issues such as chronic bronchitis, pulmonary disease, and increased risk of stroke, heart attack, and aneurysms.

In line with this, smoking can also affect an individual’s physical appearance.

Outside of premature skin aging, long-term smoking is found to affect the mouth drastically.

Here, we discuss how smoking affects your oral hygiene and the different ways you can address its effects.

Staining and discoloration

Teeth discoloration is one of the effects of long-term smoking since cigarettes have tar that causes a yellowish or stained appearance. Now, you might be wondering, if teeth are supposed to be white anyway?

While having teeth that are not platinum white is completely normal, the discoloration brought by smoking is a more prominent yellow stain that settles deep into the enamel.

Furthermore, smoking can also alter the color of the gums and lips, making them darker in color and leading to a gaunt look because of the discoloration.

Prominent dryness and wrinkles around the mouth

In line with the previous subheading, the chemicals found in cigarettes also have negative effects on the skin.

Smoking can cause blood vessels to shrink and narrow, reducing blood flow and starving the skin of ample oxygen.

The reduced blood flow for the skin also damages the skin’s elasticity and structure, leading to dryness and wrinkles around the mouth.

The formation of wrinkles is further accelerated by the constant puckering when taking a hit from the cigarette, as it pulls at the skin and could lead to sagging around the mouth.

High risk of tooth loss

Due to the chemicals found in cigarettes, smokers are at a heightened risk of tooth and gum decay. Gum disease damages the tissues that hold the teeth in place and can cause them to loosen or fall.

Additionally, an article from US News showed that cigarettes were linked to a number of dental concerns: 33% greater risk for gum disease, a 35% higher risk for loose teeth and a 43% higher risk for losing teeth.

This not only affects your smile, but it also has lasting pain that could make it difficult to eat and talk. In some cases, these conditions can even cause halitosis.

Addressing the oral effects of smoking

Smoking cessation

Since continuous smoking only compounds the problems caused by cigarettes, the most effective means to address this is to quit the habit.

To avoid withdrawal symptoms, nicotine alternatives can help you wean off while preventing further oral issues.

One such product that can help is the nicotine pouch, as it is discreet, convenient, and free from tobacco and smoke. These come in a variety of flavors that can make the experience more pleasant. If you love a cup of joe, there are coffee nicotine pouches to get you started.

The coffee flavor is actually decaffeinated but still carries a rich and creamy flavor that has been found to curb cigarette cravings.

Additionally, this has the added benefit of replacing actual coffee, which is known to stain teeth.

Alternatively, you can try fruit nicotine lozenges for a burst of sweetness similar to most candies.

These options can help you avoid any actual sugary snacks that can worsen cessation while still satisfying your nicotine dependence and oral fixation.

Boost oral hygiene practice

While everyone should also put great emphasis on their hygiene, smokers need to look after their oral health better to address the effects cigarettes have on the teeth, gums, and mouth.

Some of the best oral hygiene practices include brushing twice a day, flossing regularly to remove plaque build-up and other bacteria between the teeth, and using antibacterial mouthwash to help remove bad breath.

You can also try using oral products with hydrogen peroxide as a home remedy for teeth whitening and to combat the discoloration caused by smoking. If long-term smoking has resulted in deep-seated staining, you can also visit a healthcare professional who can oversee medical-grade teeth whitening procedures.

Take note, though, that such procedures may not be advisable for some smokers who’ve had their teeth enamel too affected, as this can cause intense sensitivity.

Written By Isabella

Isabella Martinez, your go-to relationship advisor and creator of Life Falcon. I love diving into love, life, and star signs, sharing helpful tips and interesting thoughts with you.

More About Author

Trending Right Now

Benedict Cumberbatch’s Wife - Sophie Hunter

Benedict Cumberbatch’s Wife – Sophie Hunter

As an actor, Benedict Cumberbatch’s versatility in his roles is nothing short of amazing. It’s hard to imagine him as anything other than impeccably dressed. From playing the dashing William Carrey in The

Ever felt like dating a Chinese Woman?

Ever felt like dating a Chinese Woman? Learn To Impress Them

China being the most populous and developed country is still driven by a conservative, ethnic, and racial mindset. If you are an outlander and know nothing about Chinese culture, then

Best Vasectomy Underwear

Vasectomy Underwear – Best Ones Out There:

Vasectomy Underwear – Best Ones Out There:: As it is referred to, the clipping and the snipping are easy and painless compared to their female counterparts. Not many operations in

Cute Texts to send to your Crush to keep them Interested

39 Cute Texts To Keep Your Crush Interested

39 Cute Texts To Keep Your Crush Interested: The struggle of making your crush fall in love with you does not end at the point of the start of texting

Making bookshelf in Minecraft

How to make a bookshelf in minecraft?

The heart of Minecraft as the name suggests is crafting. The game has no shortage of things to craft, from weapons to various materials to build with and even decorations to

9 Best External Hard drives for Ps4

9 Best External Hard drives for Ps4

9 Best External Hard drives for Ps4: Is your PS4’s internal hard drive holding you back? Would you like to have more games installed but lack the space to accommodate

Get paid reading books

How to Get Paid to Read Books?

Have you ever imagined that you would get paid to read and review books? If you love reading, then this would certainly be a dream come true for you, wouldn’t

Slim Micro Atx Case Full-Size Video Cards

Top 6 Micro ATX Cases Supporting Full-Sized Video Cards

Top 6 Micro ATX Cases Supporting Full-Sized Video Cards: Sure buying an already built setup is cool too. But where’s the fun in that? We are more interested in designing

What Is Active Imagination And How To Practice It?

What Is Active Imagination And How To Practice It?

It is a truth that we all are pawns in the hand of destiny, but it doesn’t mean that you only sit on a chair and let things just happen.

Boyfriend cheating on girlfriend with phone

How To Find Out If Your Boyfriend is Cheating on WhatsApp?

Has your boyfriend been acting weird lately? Do you find yourself lying in bed at night and doubting his loyalty? Did you catch a glimpse of his WhatsApp and think

Calm down a person

How To Make A Capricorn Calm Down?

Different signs express their anger or feeling of sadness in different ways. However, one that stands out among them all is Capricorn. Capricorns are aggressive individuals who express their uneasiness

Good Citizenship Examples, Qualities & Meaning

Good Citizenship Examples, Qualities & Meaning

“Citizenship” attracts the thoughts of almost everyone, whether it is the desire to obtain a passport of a certain country, assessing ways to cut off taxes and get returns, or

Water Flosser

Best Cordless Water Flossers

Getting rid of small food bits gets tricker at times. And regular flossing do get them out but they also damage gums. Thats where a water flosser comes in. Now

Los Angeles

Top 10 Landscape Architecture Firms In Los Angeles

LA here we come!! LA! What comes to mind? The notable Hollywood sign, studios, for example, Paramount Pictures, Universal, and Warner Brothers Architecture.Inspiring your journey, one story at a time.

Which Side of Your Brain is Creative?

Which Side of Your Brain is Creative?

Creativity can play a crucial role in one’s life, as it can be a turning point, and your ideas can be changed into reality. Creativity helps you to find new

impress your crush while talking on WhatsApp for the first time

Techniques To impress your crush while talking on WhatsApp for the first time

Approaching crushes could be the most tricky and depressing thing to do. The girl or guy you have been dreaming about has had infatuating on is just one text away.

Rocketbook vs Elfinbook – Which is the Best Smart Notebook?

Rocketbook vs Elfinbook – Which is the Best Smart Notebook?

Elfinbook is a valuable choice as compared to the other digital notebooks, but according to our research regarding Elfinbook vs Rocketbook Everlast, Rocketbook has won the game because of some

Why Is My Friend Ignoring Me?

Why Is My Friend Ignoring Me?

Why Is My Friend Ignoring Me?: Imagine this: lately your friend has been acting a bit cold towards you and even if you try to ignore it, you feel like

gaming headphones without mic

Good Headphones For Gaming Without Mic?

Good Headphones For Gaming Without Mic?: The headphones that are mentioned above aren’t your only options when purchasing a pair of headphones without a mic for your gaming sessions but

pillow top mattress

Best Pillow Top Mattress

Have you ever imagined how would it feel sleeping on a cloud? Well, you can experience that while sleeping on a pillowtop mattress. As the name suggests, these mattresses are