Saskatoon Dental Group is a locally owned, full-scale Saskatoon dental clinic offering general dentistry services. At Saskatoon Dental Group, we are dedicated to offering excellent care to our amazing patients who are like family to us. We are grateful to treat whole families in Saskatoon across multiple generations, and have a multicultural team speaking multiple languages. In our latest dental tip we discuss the harmful effects of smoking on oral health.
May 31st :World No-Tobacco Day 2022
May 31st is World No-Tobacco Day! Recognized each year, World No-Tobacco Day was created in 1987 by the World Health Organization to draw attention to, and inform the public of the dangers of tobacco use on a global scale. What a perfect opportunity to discuss the harmful effects of smoking on our oral health.
The Harmful Effects of Smoking on Oral Health
Smoking is extremely damaging to oral health, potentially resulting in gum disease, tooth decay, and oral cancer. The harmful effects of smoking are further explained below:
Smoking Can Cause Gum Disease
Smoking weakens the body’s immune system, making it harder to fight off an infection in the gums. Once an infection develops and damage occurs in the gums, smoking makes the healing process more difficult. This is because the tar and chemicals contained in cigarette smoke slow the healing process. As a result, infections such as gum disease are harder for smokers to fight off.
Smoking kills the good bacteria that your mouth needs. This allows bad bacteria to thrive, resulting in a greater risk of gum disease. Smoking causes a lack of oxygen in the bloodstream, and as a result the infected gums are unable to properly heal. As gum disease proceeds to worsen, tooth loss is common.
Smoking Can Lead To The Development Of Oral Cancer
Compared to non-smokers, people who use tobacco products have a greater risk of developing oral cancer. This is primarily due to the carcinogenic chemicals that cigarette smoke contains. When you inhale, you are exposing your mouth to these dangerous chemicals. These chemicals cause genetic changes in the cells of your mouth and lead to the development of oral cancer.
Each year, thousands of people die from mouth, lung, and oral cancers brought on by smoking. Avoiding tobacco use helps mitigate the risk of cancer and gum disease, and ensures teeth stay healthy.
This May, we take the opportunity to educate ourselves and raise awareness of the harmful effects smoking has on our oral health. However, when it comes to oral health maintenance, living a healthy lifestyle free from tobacco use should always be prioritized.
Remember that good oral health habits start at home and we encourage you to visit us once a year for a full checkup and examination. Oral health is closely tied to your overall health and wellness and often we can identify issues before they become problems.
We are always welcoming patients looking for a new dental family. If you would like to book a checkup or if you have any dental questions please do not hesitate to reach out to our team.
See you soon!
The Saskatoon Dental Group Team
