Forster Dental Centre Celebrates World No Tobacco Day

by Dr Richard Oxenbould (dentist)World No Tobacco Day

You know using tobacco isn’t good for you.

You’ve seen endless commercials, listened to countless radio ads, and been told dozens of times by your doctor and dentist.

If you use tobacco, you know you probably shouldn’t be.

While most people think of life-threatening health problems like lung cancer as the long-term effects of smoking, the fact is that your oral health can be at risk as well and from any tobacco consumption.

You may not consider your gums and teeth and how tobacco use impacts them, but over time, they can be severely damaged by any tobacco use.

May 31st is World No Tobacco Day, and it’s a great chance to think about how tobacco use impacts your health.

At Forster Dental Centre, we focus on how it harms your dental health, hoping that will give you even more reasons to quit!

Tobacco and your mouth

Tobacco use kills roughly six million people every year.

The majority of these deaths are related to the heart and lungs; however, tobacco consumption can also wreak havoc on your oral health.

Here are just some problems caused by tobacco consumption:

Tooth discolouration – Discolored teeth aren’t a health threat, but few of us want to walk around with brown spots and ugly teeth. When you smoke regularly, that’s precisely what happens to your once-white teeth. Even if you go to your Forster dentist for regular cleanings, the brown spots and discolouration return within a few weeks of treatment.
Bad breath – Like discoloured teeth, bad breath isn’t fatal. But, do you want to walk around with everybody shying away all the time?
Increased loss of bone within the jaw – left untreated this can cause tooth loss, sagging, and the appearance of advanced aging of the face.
Increased risk of gum disease – left untreated, this can lead to tooth loss.
Delayed healing following oral surgery or injury – The association between smoking and delayed wound healing is well recognized. The effects of the carcinogens –particularly nicotine, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen cyanide–suggest potential mechanisms by which smoking may undermine quick wound repair. Nicotine reduces nutritional blood flow to the skin, resulting in impaired healing of injured tissue. Slower healing has been observed in smokers with wounds resulting from trauma, disease, or surgical procedures.
Decreased success for dental implants – If you’ve just gotten a dental implant, do not smoke: smoking increases the risk of dental implant failure. Because dental implants require surgery, patients must be in their best health, have healthy gums, have enough bone to support the implants and be committed to meticulous oral hygiene and regular dental visits.
Increased risk of leukoplakia (white lesions inside the mouth that are considered “premalignant”)
Increased risk of developing oral cancer
Dulled senses of taste and smell – fortunately, these can begin to return as quickly as 48 hours after the last cigarette.

Concerning oral health, smokeless tobacco products are just as harmful as smoked tobacco.

In fact, smokeless tobacco products like chew and snuff area associated with an increased risk for throat and esophageal cancers.

Benefits to Quitting for Your Oral Health

You can significantly decrease your risk of oral problems if you quit smoking.

As an example, 11 years after quitting tobacco, a former smoker and a non-smoker have about the same risk for gum disease.

Even cutting back on your tobacco use can decrease your risk for gum disease and other oral health problems.

One study reported that 97.5 per cent of those who quit saw leukoplakia resolve within about six weeks, which means their risk of oral cancer likely decreased as well.

Use World No Tobacco Day as motivation to quit smoking or using tobacco products in 2019! Your mouth will appreciate it.

To take the first step towards a healthier mouth after quitting tobacco, schedule a cleaning with Forster Dental Centre! Call us at (02) 6555 5554.

Here’s How You Can Protect Your Oral Health:

Quit smoking. Quitting is the best thing you can do to protect your dental and overall health. Staying away from tobacco keeps dental problems at bay. This World No Tobacco Day, say no to smoking and take a step forward for your health.
Brush twice daily. Brushing twice daily is a habit you should never overlook. All the tobacco consumption needs proper brushing to get rid of plaque build-up and stains.
Floss daily. Flossing keeps your mouth healthy. Flossing, along with brushing, wins the fight against mild gingivitis or gum disease, which can be caused by smoking.
Visit Forster Dental Centre. Visiting us is essential to check for symptoms of gum disease and overall health problems. The earlier we can catch oral health problems, including serious ones like oral cancer, the higher the chance of successful treatment.

Your local dentist – Forster Dental Centre

At Forster Dental Centre, we provide each patient with the care that allows them to maintain healthy teeth and a beautiful smile for life!

We offer an extensive range of dental services from preventative dentistry to restorative dental options along with the latest in cosmetic dentistry solutions for straighter and whiter teeth.

We pride ourselves on listening to your concerns and needs, and we provide you with the personalised attention you and your family deserve.

Forster dentist is also serving local communities in Tuncurry, Pacific Palms, Smiths Lake, Hallidays Point, Failford, Old Bar, Nabiac, Taree, Manning Valley, Bulahdelah, Harrington and Great Lakes.