421 Titirangi Road, Titirangi, Auckland 0604.

5 Ways Smoking Can Affect Your Teeth

There’s no disputing the fact that smoking is bad for your lungs and your health in general, but did you know it also affects your teeth and gums? If the bad breath, wheezing, coughing and risk of cancer aren’t enough to make you quit, perhaps severe gum disease, a compromised immune system, or having your teeth fall out might convince you.

Here are just five of the nasty effects smoking can have on your dental health.

Stained Teeth

Your healthy, white teeth will soon become yellow, stained, dull, and, just like your face; they’ll look much older than they really are. If you want to keep your teeth white, you can add the cost of regular teeth whitening treatments to the already inflated cost of your cigarettes.

Receding Gums

People who smoke have a higher chance of suffering from receding gums where more of the tooth is exposed, allowing the bacteria on the teeth to get under the gums and cause infection. Smoking also destroys tooth enamel and reduces saliva production, causing the perfect conditions for bacteria to multiply and cause even more damage.

Greater Risk of Gum Disease

With increased bacteria and receding gums comes a greater risk of gum disease. Smokers also don’t respond to treatment as well as non-smokers because of their weakened immune system, therefore healing is much slower. Smoking creates more of the bad bacteria in your mouth, so as a smoker, you have more than twice the risk of gum disease. Being a smoker also increases your risk of necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, also called trench mouth, which is caused by a bacterial infection. It’s extremely painful and causes bleeding, bad breath and a bad taste in your mouth.

Tooth Loss

As the gum disease progresses, the bone and tissue holding your teeth in place starts to break down, causing teeth to become loose and fall out. Smokers have poor circulation, which means their gums may not bleed or become inflamed to indicate the beginning of gum disease. By the time the condition is diagnosed, it may be too late to save your teeth.

Ruined Dental Work

Cosmetic dentistry is expensive, so you want it to last as long as possible. Smoking can badly stain dental crowns, veneers, dental bridges and dentures, and increases the risk of dental implant failure. When the gums around the dental implant are exposed to tobacco smoke, a condition called peri-implantitis can occur, which leads to loss of bone that supports the implant.

Dental Clinic West Auckland Residents Will Be Thankful For

At Titirangi Dental, our friendly, professional team offers a relaxed environment where we can design a personalised treatment plan using the latest techniques and the safest, most up-to-date technology and equipment for all your dental needs.

Call 09 817 6057 or contact us online for professional advice about our full range of dental services for preventative, cosmetic and comprehensive care.