With the uptake in vaping and the ever-increasing awareness of the damage that smoking can do, the proportion of people in the UK who smoke continues to decrease. The Office of National Statistics advises that in 1974 a whopping 46% of the population smoked, a figure that by 2020 had decreased to 14%.
Despite this reduction, there is still far too damage being caused by smoking, including issues that relate to your mouth:
- The likelihood of developing mouth cancer increases significantly if you smoke
- Your breath will smell of stale smoke for hours after each cigarette (just because you don’t
- taste it anymore doesn’t mean the smell’s not there!)
- Your teeth will be highly prone to staining – yellow in the first instance then going brown after a period of years. Tooth whitening will offer an improvement but if you continue to smoke, the stains will return.
And some facts that you should be aware of:
- So-called ‘fresh breath’ products such as mouth washes can disguise the smell of smoke to an extent but will not eradicate it
- If you smoke, you are up to six times more likely to develop gum disease and potentially
- experience tooth loss. This is due to the detrimental effect the habit has on the body’s immune system
- People with mouth cancer are more likely to die than those having cervical cancer or melanoma skin cancer
How can we help?
We offer a comprehensive range of services to support patients who want help to quit smoking. In the first instance, as part of your routine examination, we will thoroughly assess your cheeks, tongue and throat for any signs that further investigation is required. We look for anything that seems out of the ordinary, but if you notice something unusual yourself (such as ulcers that don’t heal or white/red patches) then you should seek dental advice as soon as possible.
In addition, our Dental Therapist Amy is on hand to offer guidance on the best ways to quit, and to help manage any smoking-related problems that you may experience.
Mike
