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You are probably familiar with the links between tobacco use and lung disease, cancer and heart disease.
Current studies have now linked periodontal disease with tobacco usage. People who smoke ten or more cigarettes a day have more severe periodontal disease than non-smokers. There is a greater incidence of calculus (tartar) formation on teeth, more dental plaque and stain, deeper pockets between gums & teeth as well as greater loss of the bone and fibers that hold teeth in your mouth. In addition, the use of smokeless tobacco leads to a greater chance of developing oral cancer than in those patients who do not dip or chew.
There are more than a thousand chemicals in tobacco that can slow the healing process and destroy or degrade the ability of the body to defend itself from the onslaught of microorganisms. Remember, the mouth is the main opening into the human body. Degrading or destroying this first line of defense is not good. Tobacco usage slows healing and reduces the predictability of success following periodontal treatment.
Problems caused by tobacco include:
- Lung disease
- Heart disease
- Cancer
- Mouth sores
- Gum recession
- Loss of bone and teeth
- Bad breath
- Tooth staining
- Less success with periodontal treatment and dental implants
Discontinuing the use of tobacco will enhance the success of your periodontal therapy. Stopping as soon as one can is encouraged because the adverse effect of tobacco usage lasts for up to 12 years.
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