We all know that we should brush twice every day, floss, eat right, and avoid tobacco products. We have been lucky enough to be raised in a culture where certain guidelines have been established to help us live healthier and longer lives. What many of us do not know, however, is what happens if we ignore those guidelines? Today we hope to address one of those factors, tobacco. We know it is harmful to our health, but what about the dangers it poses to our oral health? We hope you read on, learn, quit if you use tobacco products, or encourage a quitter if you know someone that struggles with tobacco.
The Worst Outcomes
We are far past debating if tobacco products lead to oral cancer. The facts are much too strong to avoid. According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, over 43,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer in 2014. Nearly one American will die every hour from these cancers. Around fifty seven percent of the people diagnosed this year are not expected to live more than five years. History shows that over three fourths of the people diagnosed at 50 have been users of tobacco.
Periodontitis and Gingivitis
Gingivitis is gum disease. Periodontitis is gingivitis that has progressed and has begun destroying the supporting structures that hold teeth in place. Smoking has shown to lead to higher levels of bone loss, even in patients that practice excellent oral hygiene. Periodontitis has been shown to be more widespread and more severe in smokers.
Not only does tobacco use correlate directly with increases in diseases of the gums, tobacco users also do not respond well to therapy to correct these conditions. Extensive studies have shown that many forms of periodontal therapy is nowhere near as successful in smokers.
Dental Implant Failure
Dental implants are the future of dentistry. Advancements in implant technology have allowed dentists to perform amazing feats in tooth replacement therapy. Are smokers exempt from this treatment? Several studies have shown that the chance of implant failure is much higher in smokers than non smokers. Some studies have shown that these failures are double in occurance in smokers.
Healing
Tobacco use directly hinders our capabilities to heal in the oral cavity. This is partly why we have decreases in the success in periodontal therapy. There are several reasons for this. First, studies have found that gingival (gum tissue) blood flow is decreased in tobacco users. A study in 1996 found that smokers had increased risk of infection, thereby inhibiting healing. Smokers were found to be 18 times as likely to harbor 8 different common oral pathogens than non smokers. Finally, our cellular responses to infection, inflammation, and disease are altered significantly if we use tobacco.
Have You Had Enough?
Some of this information may be a bit clinical, but if you or a loved one are affected by any of these issues, this information should be considered. In addition to the info above, there are some other effects of tobacco use that are possibly more noticeable to the non-dental population. Tobacco leads to yellow teeth. Americans spend over $1.4 billion annually in over the counter teeth whitening products. The results of tobacco use seem to go against what is considered attractive in this country. Bad breath is another major concern for tobacco users. These issues are so large that some major companies recently have gone so far as to decide not to hire smokers.
If you have any further questions or would like to schedule a consultation, please call us at (904) 285-7711 or contact us online.