The damage caused by tobacco in our mouth goes far beyond the merely aesthetic.
It is common for smokers to have halitosis -bad breath-, yellow teeth and small dark spots.
However, the greatest dangers of smoking are not visible to the naked eye.
First of all, tobacco consumption complicates our body’s response to periodontal diseases (gingivitis and periodontitis).
It also reduces the likelihood that a dental implant will heal properly and be successful in the short term.
But the worst effect of tobacco associated with the mouth is, without a doubt, oral cancer.
It should not be forgotten that the mouth functions as a gateway for cigarette smoke and all its harmful components to enter our organism.
Therefore, many of its negative effects are concentrated in this part of the body.
Worse response to periodontal diseases
Periodontal diseases (gingivitis and periodontitis) are those that affect the tissues that support the teeth: gums and bone.
They are caused by bacteria, so they are infections produced by the progressive accumulation of dental tartar under the gum.
While gingivitis is the more moderate version of the disease, periodontitis or pyorrhea is the most aggressive and occurs when gingivitis has not been properly treated.
Tobacco and oral health
Thus, what first starts manifesting as gum inflammation and/or bleeding gums leads to progressive bone loss.
This inevitably leads to the loss of teeth, as they lose the support on which they were built.
Once we have clarified what periodontal diseases are, we must take into account the influence of tobacco.
Smoking decreases the blood supply, so the gums’ defenses are also reduced.
This hinders our response to the attack of the bacteria that cause gingivitis and pyorrhea, which accumulate in the area.
Once lodged in the gum, they hardly find any resistance to start destroying the supporting tissues of the tooth.
But smoking not only allows periodontal disease to progress faster, it also complicates diagnosis by masking the warning signs.
This is due to the fact that smokers present less bleeding gums and inflammation than non-smokers.
As periodontitis is a chronic disease that does not stop without proper treatment, the delay in diagnosis leads to a delayed response to the problem.
Once treatment is started, we advise to stop smoking – or at least reduce daily cigarettes – to achieve a more effective recovery.
You will be interested in ” Stomatitis: what is it and what is its treatment?
The risk of recurrence increases considerably in those who, once they have been treated, smoke very frequently.
Of all the effects of tobacco on the mouth, oral cancer is the most dangerous of all.
Lower probability of success with dental implants
A large number of smokers undergo dental implant surgery in our clinic every day.
Therefore, we cannot say that smoking is totally incompatible with this type of oral prosthesis.
However, it is undeniable that smoking increases the risk of experiencing complications throughout the treatment.
Therefore, eliminating or at least reducing daily tobacco consumption improves the chances of success after having undergone an implant placement procedure.
In fact, a study conducted by the Glasgow Dental Hospital and School in Scotland corroborates this claim.
Tobacco and mouth
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TOBACCO SMOKE
Thus, in smoking patients who reduce their tobacco consumption to less than 10 cigarettes a day for one week before the procedure, and up to 8 weeks after, have the same success rate as non-smokers.
Therefore, our advice is to stop smoking as often in this period to avoid any problems with the surgery and postoperatively.
Keeping the same amount of cigarettes means longer healing time and more chance of infection.
The noxious components found in smoke directly damage the maxillary bones and thus hinder osseointegration.
This is the process by which the dental implant is attached and fixed to the bone structure.
Go for check-ups
The best way to prevent any oral disease is to visit a trusted dentist at least once a year.
Increased susceptibility to mouth cancer
Mouth cancer is probably the worst of the dangers associated with smoking.
Although there are a series of risk factors, such as sex or age, that we cannot control in the appearance of this disease, there are others that are within our control.
For example, tobacco plays a particularly important role in the development of oral cancer.
As the Spanish Association Against Cancer points out, smoke is composed of 4,000 different substances, 69 of which are carcinogenic.
As far as smokers are concerned, the risk of developing oral cancer is related to the amount of tobacco consumed and for how long.
Broken cigarette
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STOP SMOKING
Given that there are many other circumstances over which we have no control and which predispose us to suffer from the disease, one of the best measures within our reach to prevent mouth cancer is not smoking.
Every year around 50,000 people die in Spain from causes attributable to tobacco consumption.
In addition to deaths from cancer, there are also those caused by cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases.
Therefore, quitting smoking is the best choice for those who want to have a better quality and quantity of life.
Bibliographic references
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Spanish Association Against Cancer. Tobacco components. (https://www.aecc.es/es/todo-sobre-cancer/prevencion/no-fumes/componentes-tabaco)
Glasgow Dental Hospital and School of Scotland. Scottish Needs Assessment Report Dental Implants. (2004). (https://www.scotphn.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/SNAP_-_Dental_Implants_Mar_2004.pdf)
