Smoker’s Teeth: Tobacco’s Effect on Oral Health

Nov 16, 2021

At GumChucks, we strive to empower people with the necessary knowledge to keep their oral health in top shape. On one hand, there are plenty of habits we recommend you include as part of your oral hygiene routine, such as flossing with our GumChucks handles. On the other hand, there are habits you’d want to avoid to maintain ideal oral health. Smoking or chewing tobacco products is one habit that can lead to “smoker’s teeth”, bad breath, gum disease, mouth cancers, and much more.

While smoking is detrimental to your overall health in many different ways, we’re going to focus primarily on the negative effects on your oral health.

Tooth Discoloration

A primary indicator of “smoker’s teeth” is stained yellow teeth. When you light a cigarette and inhale, your gums and teeth are a primary point of contact for smoke. This exposure results in discoloration as well as nicotine and tar build up on your teeth, giving you plaque that is hard to floss or brush away.

Mouth Cancers

Mouth cancer is more common than one would expect. About 90% of people with cancer of the tongue, mouth, lips, and throat use tobacco products. Smokers are six times more likely than non-smokers to develop cancers in these areas – a sobering statistic that heavily reminds us of the long-term oral health consequences of smoking.

Smoking cigarettes can also delay the healing process of your mouth, due to tobacco’s effect of reducing oxygen in our bloodstream. When faced with oral surgery or injuries, smokers will take a longer time to recover, which can lead to a higher risk of infection due to your gums being exposed and potentially not healing properly.

Gum Disease

Smokers are three to six times more likely to develop gum disease, also known as periodontal disease. As you smoke, plaque and tartar enter your mouth and accumulate inside. Gum disease begins with this process of bacterial growth in your mouth. There are two stages to gum disease, being:

  1. Gingivitis: A common gum disease
  2. Periodontitis: If gingivitis is left untreated, the gum disease then progresses to Periodontitis.

Smokers also have compromised immune systems, leading to these types of gum diseases spreading below the gum line. Periodontitis often results in weak gums, tooth decay, and tooth loss.

Bad Breath

Bad breath, or halitosis, is an outcome of accumulated tobacco plaque in the mouth.

Say Goodbye to “Smoker’s Teeth

Even when people have smoked for years, quitting has been shown to improve oral health and limit the risk of oral cancer and gum disease. The best gift you can give your teeth and gums is to stop smoking. Additionally, seeing your dentist twice a year and regularly brushing and flossing is vital to your oral health.

How GumChucks Helps Remove Plaque

As we established, flossing your teeth is the only way to remove plaque and to prevent tartar from entering hard-to-reach places. GumChucks’ design ensures a flossing experience that’s faster, easier, and more effective than competing flossers or traditional floss. Our two handles with disposable floss allow you to comfortably reach all your teeth, even those in the back while wrapping the floss around each tooth. This creates the vital “C-Shape” necessary to get below the gum line and effectively clean each tooth.

GumChucks

GUMCHUCKS MAKES FLOSSING FUN, FAST, AND EASY!

Click here to get started with GumChucks today!

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