Tobacco is a habit that is still too ingrained, despite its harmful consequences for health. Although, according to a WHO report, the World Health Organization, tobacco control policies have increased drastically in recent years, in general the perception is that the real effects and their scope are unknown.
Although tobacco negatively affects health in general, in this post we will focus on its effects on oral health. Our mouth is essential in our daily lives: We use it to eat, drink, smile, talk, kiss, laugh... But often we don't care enough about taking care of it until some obvious health problem arises.
Regarding tobacco, the most common is that patients worry more about the aesthetic effects, since they are the most visible, such as nicotine stains or the yellowish color that continuous consumption causes in the teeth.
But the harmful effects of tobacco in our oral health they go much further. We explain which are the main ones.
1. Bad breath
Some components of tobacco, such as nicotine and tar, adhere to the mucous membranes and teeth as the smoke passes through the oral cavity, so the smell of tobacco remains in the mouth for a while. In addition, these components also alter the bacterial balance of our mouth and dry it out, which favors the halitosis or bad breath.
2. Alterations in the color of the teeth
One of the best known effects of tobacco is the yellowish color and stains caused by nicotine and tar in tooth enamel. Although in an initial state this can be corrected with a teeth whitening, with the passage of time and the continued consumption of tobacco, the stains can become very difficult to remove. And it's not just an aesthetic issue: People with stained or yellowish teeth often have confidence problems when speaking, smiling and laughing normally, which affects your self-esteem.
3. Tooth decay
The components of tobacco alter the oral flora that protects us from cavities, so that our dental enamel is more exposed to its effects. In addition, dry mouth or xerostomia caused by tobacco causes harmful components to remain in the mouth longer, since one of the functions of saliva is to "drag" residue from the mouth and clean it.
4. Decreased sense of taste
Tobacco alters the taste buds, which affects the sense of taste in smokers. This loss of sense of taste not only translates into less enjoyment of food and drinks, but for example they tend to find food bland, so they tend to consume more salt than a non-smoker, which carries a risk of hypertension, among others.
5. Reduced healing capacity
The decrease in the defenses and the blood supply in the mouth affect our ability to heal, so that before an extraction or implant surgery we run a greater risk of infection, since it takes longer to heal the wound, and even implant failure.
6. Increased risk of periodontal diseases
The main risk with periodontal diseases and tobacco is that they do not seem as serious, so they take longer to detect. This is because tobacco decreases the blood supply to the gums, making them appear less inflamed and bleed less (the symptom that usually sets off alarm bells about a gum problem). Thus, it is very likely that the disease will be detected in a more advanced state. In addition, tobacco triples the risk of periodontal disease, since it reduces the contribution of the immune system's defenses to deal with bacterial infection.
7. Oral cancer
Tobacco contains carcinogenic substances that increase the risk of oral cancer. In fact, according to the WHO, tobacco and alcohol are two important causal factors in this disease, due to the chemical changes that these substances, ingested continuously, can cause in the oral cavity. A self-examination of the mouth looking for small non-healing wounds or ulcers under the tongue, on the lips, or on the palate is highly recommended in patients with risk factors.
In other words, the effects of tobacco in our mouth can be much more serious than is usually thought, and go beyond aesthetics. For this reason, at Ahoa we first recommend smokers to seek professional help to quit smoking and, in any case, to visit their trusted dentist frequently, every 6 months, to assess the health of their mouth. , especially of the soft tissues (tongue, floor of the mouth, lips and soft palate). Despite the fact that there are no obvious symptoms of any problem, keep in mind that many times the diseases of the mouth are of the so-called "silent" ones.