NO SMOKE WITHOUT FIRE: DENTAL CLINIC WARNS WHAT SMOKING IS DOING TO YOUR MOUTH AND TEETH

The most recent study into UK smoking habits found that In Quarter 1 of 2020, 13.5% of adults smoked cigarettes (equivalent to around 5.5 million adults). Whilst this number is decreasing year on year, it still means that there is a large community of adults who are ignoring the health risk of smoking regularly – no matter how graphic the messages on cigarette packaging are.

Leading dentists Hermes London Dental Clinic are joining the conversation surrounding smoking and for National Non Smoking Day (9th March).

Dr Parneet Semhi, Principal Dentist at Hermes London Dental Clinic, said: “We see the effects of smoking on teeth and gums almost everyday at our clinic and we can’t stress enough how vital it is to quit smoking in order to save your oral health.

“Nation Non Smoking Day is the ideal place to start and have a community of people on the journey to being smoke-free together.”

This year’s campaign message is “Don’t give up on giving up. Every time you try to stop smoking, you’re a step closer to success.” As many smokers need several attempts to kick the habits for good, Hermes London Dental Clinic is hoping information on how smoking can seriously damage your teeth will persuade smokers to give quitting another go this year for good.

Hermes London Dental Clinic is sharing the effect of cigarettes on oral health or National Non Smoking Day.jpg

Deeply unpleasant for peers of people with smoking habits, halitosis (otherwise known as bad breath) can kick up a stink in oral health. The most immediate reason why cigarette smoking causes bad breath is because some particles of the smoke are left in your throat and lungs long after the cigarette is finished and can linger for up to hours. That’s why even if you brush your teeth after smoking, you still can smell it when you talk or exhale. Tobacco contains over 4,000 chemicals, most of which are toxic and induce the growth of bacteria.

Smoking causes other effects that go way beyond bad breath to serious oral health conditions as it’s also one of the biggest causes of gum disease and often goes unnoticed. People who smoke less than 10 cigarettes per day are two times more likely to develop gum disease which increases to four to five times more likely in heavier smokers. It can be summed up as an infection of the gums and can affect the bone structure that supports your teeth. In severe cases, it can make your teeth fall out.

Smoking can lead to gum disease and in extreme cases, may even cause the teeth to fall out.jpg

Gum disease starts with bacteria on your teeth that get under your gums. If the germs stay on your teeth for too long, layers of plaque (film) and tartar (hardened plaque) develop. This buildup leads to early gum disease called gingivitis.

When gum disease gets worse, your gums can pull away from your teeth and form spaces that get infected. This is severe gum disease, also called periodontitis. The bone and tissue that hold your teeth in place can break down, and your teeth may loosen and need to be pulled out.

Around 8,300 people are diagnosed with mouth cancer each year in the UK, and around two in every three mouth cancers are linked to smoking. Cancer is a condition where cells in the body grow and reproduce uncontrollably and these cancerous cells can invade and destroy surrounding healthy tissue. Mouth cancer, also known as oral cancer, can start in different parts of the mouth, including the lips, salivary glands, tongue, gums, palate and inside of the cheeks. Smoking has been know to cause at least 15 types of cancer and damages the DNA that protects you from it. Significantly reducing your tobacco intake or quitting altogether reduces your risk of oral cancer dramatically.

Quitting smoking can restore good health much sooner than you think. 20 minutes after smoking a cigarette, your pulse rate returns to normal; after 8 hours,Your oxygen levels are recovering, and the harmful carbon monoxide level in your blood will have reduced by half; after 48 hours all carbon monoxide is flushed out and your lungs are clearing out mucus. Eventually, your body will thank you as after 10 years smoking-free your risk of lung cancer and heart attacks will have halved compared to a smoker.

It’s never too late to quit smoking and even if you fall at a few hurdles, remember this year’s National Non Smoking Day motto – “don’t give up on giving up.”