{"id":983,"date":"2020-01-23T09:00:34","date_gmt":"2020-01-23T14:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/?p=983"},"modified":"2020-01-29T15:29:05","modified_gmt":"2020-01-29T20:29:05","slug":"effects-of-smoking-on-oral-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/effects-of-smoking-on-oral-health\/","title":{"rendered":"The Damaging Effects of Smoking on Oral Health"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Smoking may be on the decline, but it\u2019s still more common\nthan you may think. Many know that smoking carries risks but may not know\nexactly how bad it is. In addition to major issues like lung cancer and heart\nhealth, the effects of smoking on oral health are serious and can lead to a\nlifetime of trouble and embarrassment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you smoke or know someone who does, read on to learn about the damaging and dangerous effects of smoking on dental health to better understand how important it is to quit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Worst Effects of Smoking on Oral Health<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Gum Disease<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Bacteria in your mouth, if left unchecked, will eventually\nlead to gum disease. The initial stages of gum disease can be benign and are\neasy to control. However, as a smoker, the rate and severity that gum disease\ndevelops is accelerated versus non-smokers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As gum disease progress, its effects are wide-ranging. The increased\ninflammation can impact your whole-body health,<\/a> increased gum sensitivity\ncan make it harder to brush, and receding gums leave you more exposed to\nadditional bacteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bone & Tooth Loss<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your mouth relies on the surrounding bone for structure and\nsupport. As\nperiodontal disease advances<\/a>, it causes bone loss in this area. As you lose\ndensity in your jawbone, your teeth will inevitably fall out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tooth\nloss is a compounding issue<\/a> \u2013 the gap from missing teeth, along with the\nchallenges in eating and speaking make it a far greater problem than simply\nbeing without the tooth. More importantly, as you lose teeth, the gaps left\nbehind allow bacteria to spread more effectively and be harder to clean out. In\nthe long term, this makes it much more likely to lose even more teeth!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oral Cancer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Of course, one of the most undeniably severe risks of\nsmoking and your oral health is the increased chance of developing oral cancer.\nIf you smoke, you\u2019re 10 times more likely to develop oral cancer than the\ngeneral population!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Living with oral cancer is challenging. You can have\ncomplications with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n