How smoking affects more than your lungs

The effects of smoking on your overall health are well known – a high risk of developing lung cancer, breathing problems, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)… the list goes on. But you may not know that smoking can lead to oral health problems and make it more difficult to treat those problems, too.

How does smoking affect my oral health?

• Teeth wear down faster. Cigars, chewing tobacco, snuff and unprocessed tobacco leaves (used as cigar wrappers) contain tiny particles that are abrasive to teeth. When mixed with saliva and chewed, an abrasive paste is created that wears down teeth over time.
• Fewer dental treatment options. The damage to your mouth from smoking includes reduced blood flow, increased bacteria and inflammation. These problems can make it difficult to replace lost teeth. For example, implants and bridges might not be a repair option because your surrounding teeth and jawbone may have weakened from infection or decay and aren’t strong enough to support these procedures.
• Gum disease is harder to treat. Smoking affects your immune system’s ability to do its job, so if you are a smoker being treated for gum disease, it might be more of a struggle to fight the problems associated with gum disease. Smoking also limits the growth of blood vessels, slowing the healing of gum tissue after oral surgery or from injury.
• More likely to get sick. Tobacco reduces the body's ability to fight infection, including in the mouth and gums. A simple infection can lead to something worse, like sepsis.
• Higher risk for other problems. Smokers are twice as likely to develop gum disease than non-smokers.

What about chewing tobacco?

Smokeless tobacco (also known as snuff or chewing tobacco) is known to cause cancers of the mouth, lip, tongue and pancreas. Like cigarettes, smokeless tobacco can lead to higher incidences of oral cancer. In fact, smokeless tobacco products, just like cigarettes, contain at least 28 cancer-causing chemicals.

A few of the other known health dangers include:

• Risk for cancer of the voice box, esophagus, colon and bladder because toxins in the juice created by chewing can be swallowed.
• Irritating your gums, which can lead to gum (periodontal) disease.
• Increased risk of tooth decay since sugar is often added to enhance the flavor of smokeless tobacco.
• Tooth sensitivity and erosion due to sand and grit from smokeless tobacco wearing down teeth.

What can I do?

If you’re a smoker, you can start by understanding that tobacco dependence is a nicotine addiction disorder.

There are four aspects to nicotine addiction:

1. Physical
2. Sensory
3. Psychological
4. Behavioral

All aspects of nicotine addiction need to be addressed to break the habit, and it’s not uncommon for smokers to try and quit several times before succeeding. If you’re a smoker, work with both your medical doctor and your dentist to find the method that will help you quit for good.

Related reading:

• Oral cancer: What you need to know
• Smoking and gum disease
• It may be smokeless, but it’s still tobacco
• Chewing tobacco, boys and baseball

Published Oct 2018

Information courtesy of the Academy of General Dentistry, the American Dental Association and the Centers for Disease Control.

The oral health information on this website is intended for educational purposes only. You should always consult a licensed dentist or other qualified health care professional for any questions concerning your oral health.