Though the dangers of smoking and chewing tobacco are well-known and well-documented, tobacco use is still a widely-practiced habit. Given the wealth of information regarding smoking’s effects on your lungs and other vital organs, you might not be surprised to learn that the habit can also destroy the health of your teeth and gums. Your Astoria general dentist, Dr. Jeffrey Leibowitz, examines tobacco’s effects on your oral health, and why not smoking is as good for your smile as it is for the rest of your body.
What’s in Your Cigarette?
A typical cigarette contains about 600 additives approved by the U.S. government. These additives, however, produce over 4,000 chemicals when burned that are known to cause harm, including 69 known carcinogens (substances that cause cancer). Below are just a few of the chemicals found in first- and second-hand smoke, and the more popular uses for these chemicals;
- Acetone—a main ingredient in nail polish remover
- Ammonia—common but powerful household cleaner, known for its especially pungent odor
- Arsenic—better known as rat poison
- Cadmium—a corrosive component of battery acid
- Carbon monoxide—also found in the exhaust fumes of your car
- Formaldehyde—used as embalming fluid
- Nicotine—highly-addictive substance that doubles as insecticide
Smoking and Your Dental Health
The thousands of toxic chemicals produced by tobacco smoke interfere with the normal function of your mouth’s soft tissue cells and inhibit the flow of oxygen in your bloodstream, making it harder for damaged/diseased oral tissues to heal. By affecting your mouth’s saliva flow and increasing your chances of dry mouth, smoking also creates a friendly environment for dangerous oral bacteria to flourish, form dental plaque, and endanger your oral health. Typically, cigarette smokers are more likely to develop chronic bad breath, tooth decay, and gum disease due to the increased bacterial activity and compromised oral tissues. Not to mention, smokers are up to six times more likely to develop oral cancer than nonsmokers.
Learn More & Stop Smoking with Your Astoria General Dentist
To learn more about the dangers of smoking, or for help in your quest to quit smoking, call our Astoria general dentist’s office today to schedule a dental consultation with Dr. Leibowitz. You can contact us by calling (718) 728-8320. Located in the 11106 area, we proudly serve patients from Astoria, Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the surrounding communities.
