Cigarette Smoking: Your Healthy Gum is in Danger

For sure you have seen a warning on the cigarette packages saying, “Quitting smoking now greatly reduces risks to your health”. But what kinds of smoking-related diseases come into your mind? It can be lung cancer, or maybe emphysema or others. But perhaps, what most people failed to make them selves be aware of is that half of periodontal (gum) diseases are caused by smoking. And a long term gum disease may lead to tooth loss. In fact, studies have found out that tobacco use is one of the prime risk factors in the development of periodontal diseases.

Periodontal or gum disease is a kind of bacterial infection. It destroys the soft tissues and bones that anchor the teeth to the jawbones. Bacteria grow in the dental plaque and then forms in the pockets around the teeth. The body’s reaction to the plaque leads to the breakdown of the bones and soft tissues. During the early stages, bleeding of the gums whenever you brush or floss would be noticeable. When the infection gets worse, the gums would begin to break down. Then they pull away from your teeth to form pockets. As time pass by, these pockets in between the teeth and gums would deepen and this would mean that the other supporting structures are being destroyed. Ultimately, the teeth would become painful and loose. Worse is, they might fall out. 

In addition, studies showed that smokers have more calculus or tartar compared to the non-smokers. And this could be due to the decreased flow of saliva. Tartar is the hardened form of plaque. Smoking tobacco products can worsen gum diseases. And smokers suffer from having a severe bone loss and deep pockets between the teeth and gums. It has also been found out that smokers are three times more likely to have gum destruction. Severe bone loss is also five times greater than those who don’t smoke. Smoking does not only increases the chance to develop gum diseases, but it also makes the treatment difficult and less likely to succeed, and this is because of the fact that smoking hinders the healing process in the mouth. Moreover, the greatest risk of using tobacco to one’s health is its link to oral cancer. And it has even been reported that:

•  90% of people suffering from mouth cancer and other types of throat cancer have used tobacco. The risk to develop these types of cancer increases when people smoke or chew for a longer time. 

• Smokers are six times more likely to have these types of cancer than non-smokers. 

• The 37% patients who continue to smoke after cancer treatment would develop second cancers of the mouth and throat. 

• Tobacco smoke coming from cigars, cigarettes, and pipes cause cancers anywhere in the mouth the other parts of the throat behind the mouth. It also causes cancer of the lungs, larynx, kidneys, esophagus, bladder, and other organs. Pipe smoking can cause cancer in the lips area that has contact with the pipe stem.