Tobacco Cause Periodontal Disease

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Recent studies have shown that tobacco use may be one of the most significant risk factors in the development and progression of periodontal disease.

Surprising as it may sound, many smokers need to be made more aware of the dangers of tobacco use. In fact, just 29 percent of smokers say they believe themselves to be at an above-average risk for heart attack compared to their non-smoking peers.

Obviously, while information about the medical problems associated with smoking – such as lung disease, cancer, heart disease and low-birth-weight infants – is widely available, many smokers seem to have tuned out.

If you are a smoker who is concerned about the effects smoking can have on your health, congratulations! By accessing information about the negative impacts of tobacco use, you are taking the first step towards quitting.

Gum Disease Risk: Time to quit

Recent studies have shown that tobacco use may be one of the most significant risk factors in the development and progression of periodontal disease. In addition, following periodontal treatment or any type of oral surgery, the chemicals in tobacco can slow down the healing process and make the treatment results less predictable.

How does smoking increase your risk for periodontal (gum) disease? As a smoker, you are more likely than a non-smoker to have the following problems:

• Calculus – plaque that hardens on your teeth and can only be removed during a professional cleaning.
• Deep pockets between your teeth and gums.
• Loss of the bone and tissue that support your teeth.
• If the calculus is not removed during a professional cleaning, and it remains below your gum line, the bacteria in the calculus can destroy your gum tissue and cause your gums to pull away from your teeth. When this happens, periodontal pockets form and fill with disease-causing bacteria.
• If left untreated, periodontal disease will progress. The pockets between your teeth and gums can grow deeper, allowing in more bacteria that destroy tissue and supporting bone. As a result, the gums may shrink away from the teeth making them look longer. Without treatment, your teeth may become loose, painful and even fall out.

Smoking Cause Toothless

Research shows that smokers loose more teeth than non-smokers do. In fact, according to data from the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, only about 20 percent of people over age 65 who have never smoked are toothless, while a whopping 41.3 percent of daily smokers over age 65 are toothless.

In addition, research shows that current smokers don’t heal as well after periodontal treatment as former smokers or non-smokers.

But these effects are reversible if the smokers kick the habit before beginning treatment.

Not Just Cigarettes Are Bad For Periodontal Health

Other tobacco products are also harmful to your periodontal health. Smokeless tobacco also can cause gums to recede (receding gums) and increase the chance of losing the bone and fibres that hold your teeth in place. Pipe smokers experience tooth loss at a rate similar to cigarette smokers.

Other Oral Problems Caused By Tobacco

Researches also have found that the following problems occur more often in people who use tobacco products:

• Oral cancer
• Bad breath
• Stained teeth
• Tooth loss
• Bone loss
• Loss of taste
• Less success with periodontal treatment
• Less success with dental implants
• Gum recession
• Mouth sores
• Facial wrinkling

By Dr Mir Pooya Mozaffary
The author is director and Maxillo Facial Surgeon, Dr Pooyas Health Centre, Bangalore and can be contacted at 080-41128453.