Oral Health and Dental Management

Impacts of Smoking on Tooth, Gums and Oral Health

Camila Ortiz^* Department of Dental Hygienist, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
^*Correspondence: Camila Ortiz, Department of Dental Hygienist, University of Granada, Granada, Spain, Email:

Received: 12-Jan-2023, Manuscript No. OHDM-23-19747; Editor assigned: 16-Jan-2023, Pre QC No. OHDM-23-19747(PQ); Reviewed: 06-Feb-2023, QC No. OHDM-23-19747; Revised: 16-Feb-2023, Manuscript No. OHDM-23-19747(R); Published: 24-Feb-2023, DOI: 10.35248/2247-2452.23.22.1040

Description

Gingival inflammation and tooth loss are both significantly increased by smoking. Quitting smoking has a positive effect on periodontal therapy. However, no comprehensive review has yet examined how quitting smoking affects tooth loss. Therefore, the purpose of this review was to determine whether quitting smoking lowers the risk of loss of teeth. Smoking and other tobacco use can cause gum disease by interfering with the bone and soft tissue’s ability to cling to your teeth. Smoking appears to affect gum tissue cells’ ability to function normally, in particular. Smokers are more vulnerable to infections like periodontal disease due to this interference, which also appears to impact blood circulation to the gums, which may slow the healing process. At least 28 compounds found in cigars, cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco products have been linked to an increased risk of mouth cancer, throat cancer, and oesophageal cancer. In actuality, chewing tobacco has higher nicotine levels than cigarettes, which makes it more difficult to stop using it.

Additionally, snuff has more nicotine per can than more than 60 cigarettes. Your gum tissue may become irritated by smokeless tobacco and begin to pull or recede from your teeth. Your teeth’s roots become visible when the gum line recedes, increasing the risk of dental decay. Eating and drinking become uncomfortable due to the exposed roots’ increased sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures or other irritants. Additionally, sweeteners, which are frequently added to smokeless tobacco to improve the flavour, can raise your risk of tooth decay. Additionally, most smokeless tobacco products contain sand and grit that can harm your teeth. Smoking can dull your senses of taste and smell, and tobacco tar can discolour your tongue, stain your teeth, and cause halitosis. Smokers’ immune systems deteriorate which makes them less able to fight off oral diseases and causes them to take longer to recover from dental surgery. Smoking encourages the growth of germs, plaque, and tartar, which causes tooth decay, cavities, and tooth loss. The risk of developing oral cancer, which is arguably the most deadly and difficult to cure, increases when you are exposed to the dangerous chemicals present in cigarettes, cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco. These chemicals create abnormalities in the cancer tissue of your throat and mouth. Cancer of the mouth, such as the tongue, cheek, mouth, and lips, is referred to as mouth cancer. One of the biggest risk factors for carcinoma is smoking.

Every year, oral cancer affects more number of people. The risk of mouth cancer is higher for those who smoke and drink alcohol than for those who just do either of them. Never too late to stop smoking because individuals who do so eventually had same risk of mouth cancer as those who don’t smoke. The sides of a tongue, the mouth’s floor, and the lips are where mouth cancer in smokers most frequently develops. Other parts of the mouth are also susceptible to it. The eventual result of periodontal disease is tooth loss. Due of its poor aesthetic appeal, it is linked to loss of masticatory function, low self- esteem, and reduced social relationships. Therefore, poor oral health has a detrimental effect on quality of life related to oral health. Smokers have more severe periodontitis than non- smokers, which increases their risk of tooth loss. Ex-smokers may experience tooth loss at a far lower rate than current smokers, according to cross-sectional and prospective research. Smokers may discover that their chances of having foul breath are higher than those of non-smokers. Mouthwashes and other fresh-breath treatments may temporarily assist to mask the issue, but they cannot fix it. For smokers, there are specific toothpastes. You should use them carefully because they might occasionally be a little bit more abrasive than regular toothpastes. You could be advised by your dental team to alternate using these toothpastes with your regular toothpaste. There are many types of toothpaste available for “whitening.” Although they don’t change the colour on your teeth, they might be useful in removing stains, which could help your teeth look better overall.

Gum disease signs to look out for include:

• That feel bite whenever your teeth are positioned together may alter as a result, and dentures may also fit differently.

• Poor breath or a bad smell.

• Weak gums may fall from the teeth.

• Gums with redness, inflammation, and bleeding