Smoking and Your Oral Health

Effects of Smoking on your oral Health.

Goondiwindi Dentist Dr. Bik Sandhu from Sparkling White Dental, Goondiwindi talks about this emergent silent killer which causes both loss of human lives and besides the greater financial burden on individuals and the government to deal with this social problem.

Studies have proved beyond doubt that smoking and tobacco are bad for overall health. Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body, causes depletion of the health of smokers in general. According to Cancer Council Australia, nearly 15,500 lives are lost due to smoking-related illnesses every year.

Oral Health Effects of Smoking

Stained teeth and tongue, bad breath, and loss of smell and taste are just the beginning when it comes to a smoker’s oral health problems.

Gum and Periodontal Disease

Gum disease, also known as periodontitis, is a serious gum infection that damages the soft tissue, can destroy the bone that supports the teeth, and cause teeth to loosen or lead to tooth loss, due to depletion of the body’s ability to ward off disease because of decrease in blood supply to tissues which help in repair. Those who smoke are known to develop gum disease which in turn causes receding gums as there is bone loss around the teeth. This in turn causes pockets or gaps to form between the teeth and gum line which makes it easier for disease-causing bacteria to build up.

Oral Cancer

Cigarettes, cigars & smokeless tobacco contain harmful chemicals which seem to cause mutations in the healthy cells of the mouth and throat, increasing the risk of developing oral cancer is the most serious side effect of smoking and tobacco use. Oral cancer are cancers that affect the lips, tongue, cheeks, floor of the mouth, hard and soft palate, sinuses, and pharynx (the throat). Oral cancer is part of a group of cancers commonly referred to as head and neck cancers, and of all head and neck cancers, they comprise about 85 percent of that category.

World No Tobacco Day – Monday, May 31

World No Tobacco Day is a day focused on informing the public on the dangers of using tobacco, the business practices of tobacco companies, the World Health Organization (WHO) initiatives in fighting the tobacco epidemic, and what people around the world can do to claim their right to health and healthy living and to protect future generations. This year, the theme for World No Tobacco Day is “Commit to Quit.” Commit to quit today and sign the pledge.

There is no better time than the present to commit to stop smoking. When an individual quits, the body begins to heal itself and reverse the side effects of smoking. Oral health and overall health begin to improve.

If you or someone you know wants to quit, but needs help, visit https://www.health.gov.au/health- topics/smoking-and-tobacco/how-to-quit-smoking. Or Click this QR Code for more info