How does Smoking affect your oral health?

Smoking and use of other tobacco products can lead to various body health issues. For instance, it can have a negative impact on the health of your lungs. One of the most common health issues that are brought about by smoking is oral health issues. Both the mouth gums and the teeth are adversely affected by tobacco usage and smoking. While smoking is an addiction that can be hardly done away with, proper care of your teeth can reduce the effect of the tobacco on your teeth as much as in the long run, you will still develop health issues.  Below are some of the most common oral issues that are brought about by tobacco smoking.

Your teeth are discoloured.

This is the most common effect of smoking as the change of colour can easily be noted. Within a short time of smoking, the teeth absorb nicotine and tar found in tobacco thus changing your teeth colour from white to yellow. Nicotine is usually colourless but when combined with oxygen it turns to yellow. As for the tobacco that has no smoke, ones it mixes with the saliva, it produces a dark brown liquid that rests against the teeth for some time thus staining your teeth.

If smoking is an addiction that you are not ready to do away with, it is recommended that you should brush right after smoking to prevent the tobacco colours from staining your teeth.

You are likely to have bad breath

Whenever you smoke, there are some particles that are left on the throat, lungs as well as the mouth. If they stay in the mouth for long, the smoker is likely to experience very bad breath. In addition to the particles that have been left in the mouth, smoking often decreases the flow of saliva in your mouth, therefore, leading to a proliferation of bacteria that cause chronic bad breath.

If you are a smoker, reputable dentists recommend that you should brush and floss often as soon as you are done with your smoking session. Also, it is important that you should have regular dental checkups to ensure that you have perfect oral health.

Smoking causes gum diseases.

Tobacco facilitates the formation of plaque near the gum line. In turn, the attachment of the bone and gums to your teeth is adversely affected. According to research carried out, it shows that tobacco smoking has an effect on the cells of the tissue gum. The immunity of your body is weakened thus making it quite hard to fight any oral infection.

If you experience gum diseases, it is recommended that you should not only reduce your tobacco smoking but you should ensure that you take great care of your teeth as well as have regular dental checkups.