Tobacco & Gum Disease

The dangers of tobacco use have been discussed for decades, with cancer topping the list of reasons to quit. While it is true that smoking tobacco products is catastrophic to many vital organs in the human body, some people underestimate its threat to oral health. Not only do the chemicals in tobacco products cause your teeth to turn yellow and your breathe to stink, they can also lead to painful and unsightly gum disease. In fact, the University of Minnesota's Division of Periodontology reports that current smokers and those who have smoked in the past show an increased prevalence of gum disease.

What Is Gum Disease?

• Gum disease is also referred to as gingivitis and often occurs due to a buildup of plaque on the teeth and gums. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, the gums of a gingivitis patient will often swell and become red and in some cases bleeding can occur. If gum disease is left untreated, it can develop into a condition known as periodontitis, which is denoted by infected pockets between the teeth and gums.

How Tobacco Affects Gums

• For some tobacco users it may be difficult to understand why their bad habit affects their teeth and gums, especially if they practice good oral hygiene and visit their dentist regularly. Orthodontics.org explains that the sugar that is used to flavor tobacco products can actually increase the risks of tooth decay. Smoking tobacco also decreases crucial blood flow to the gums, which impedes healthy tissue growth and damages skin cells.

Plaque

• The plaque that forms as a result of tobacco use is referred to as "calculus." Calculus can build up fast, and is not removed by tooth brushing alone. This form of plaque leaves a coating on the teeth that is so strong it can only be removed with tools at the dentist's office. According to the American Academy of Periodontology, if the plaque is not removed professionally it will cause the gums to begin to pull away from the teeth. This scenario can cause the teeth to appear longer than normal and even fall out because they have lost their stability within the gums.

Further Complications

• The threat to oral health doesn't begin and end with the gum diseases that are caused by tobacco use. In fact for some patients, gum disease may be just the beginning. Scientists have begun to find a correlation between severe gum disease and oral cancer. According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, tobacco use can inhibit the healing of gums after dental treatment. The inability to properly control gum disease can lead to the development of sores on the inside of the mouth and on the gums and tongue. These sores can become cancerous. Mouth sores that persist and do not heal within two weeks should be checked by a doctor in order to determine if they are associated with an oral cancer known as squamous cell carcinoma.

A Reason to Quit

• There are many good reasons to discontinue using tobacco and doing so may very well help heal your gums and save the lifespan of your teeth. Kicking the tobacco habit can greatly reduce the risk of gum disease; and once smoking stops and the proper amount of blood flow returns, healing of the gums can begin. Colgate World of Care reports that even reducing the number of cigarettes that are smoked per day can cut the risk of gum disease considerably.