How Tobacco and Nicotine Affect Your Dental Health

Smoking has already been a bad habit of people around the world, not minding the bad effects of nicotine. Nicotine is a chemical present in tobacco plants and is considered by chemists as poison.

By simply chewing or smoking tobacco, one can expose himself to the harmful effects of nicotine in the body. Nicotine does not only affect the lungs, it also has observable and serious effects on dental health, especially on the teeth and gums of the smoker.

Among the many bad effects on dental health of tobacco, specifically nicotine is the following:

1. Observable discoloration of teeth. Teeth become yellowish as it accumulates more nicotine. The discoloration can’t be removed by simply brushing the teeth.

2. It causes bad breath because nicotine stays on the teeth and lips for a long time causing its smell to stay on it.

3. It also causes the thinning of gums and gradually exposing the root to foreign objects in the mouth. Bacteria can easily penetrate through the roots and infects the gums. It also leads to weakening of the roots of the teeth and therefore causing it to fall off eventually. Since, there is now an entry to foreign substances; it will also cause the possible development of various forms of cancer.

4. Smoking tobacco can also make the mouth and throat prone to bacteria. The observable effects are swelling of gums and inflammation due to infection. It can also cause bleeding for both gums and teeth.

The following are the signs of developing cancer due to smoking or chewing tobacco:

1. An oral wound that would not heal
2. Hoarseness of the voice
3. Difficulty of Ingestion
4. Swelling of the Jaw
5. Bleeding and numbness of the gums

In the purpose of ending the dangerous effect of smoking, different campaign materials posted through various media are exposed to public to educate them on the danger awaiting them.

Many TV infomercials often the use the famous government warning on smoking; “Cigarette smoking is dangerous to your health” as a wake up slogan to the smoker. Nicotine cessation is still the best way to end this.