Smoking is not only harmful to your lungs, heart and vessels, but also to your oral health.
The harmful substances discolor your teeth, create more plaque and make you more likely to develop gum disease.
Conditions such as periodontitis are also more common in smokers.
If you stop smoking, you will see improvement in your mouth after just a few weeks.
Inflammation often goes undetected
Smokers are three to six times more likely to develop periodontitis.
This is mainly because nicotine constricts blood vessels in the gums.
This makes it harder for the blood cells that supply antibodies to reach the gums.
Also, substances from the cigarette decrease your defenses.
Because of the narrowing of blood vessels, smokers’ gums bleed less quickly.
As a result, you are not likely to notice an infection.
If you stop smoking, you will suddenly experience bleeding gums.
Sometimes the infection has already set in so far that the gums don’t bleed and teeth are still at risk.
Smokers are therefore more likely to lose their teeth than non-smokers.
Quitting smoking
As a smoker, have your oral health checked regularly by your dental hygienist.
Even better, of course, is to quit smoking.
As early as two to six weeks after quitting, we see improvement in your mouth.
The condition of your gums will not continue to deteriorate.
Also, the results of gum treatment will be better.
Gum bleeding may increase temporarily after quitting smoking.
Good oral hygiene will make this problem disappear quickly.
We are happy to help you with this.
In our practice we work with the Gewoon Gaaf prevention method.
This prevention method from the Ivory Cross is for children ages 0 to 18 and their parents/caregivers. Want to read more?
