Is Chewing Gum Good For Your Teeth?
November 7, 2018History of Dentistry
November 20, 2018With the increase in popularity of vaping and smoking over the past 5 years comes research on the affect it takes on your health. Research findings include things like teeth discoloration, and in some cases, loss of teeth but fails to highlight the long term affects on your overall oral health.
Vaping
Vaping, although currently popular, has been around for a while. Roughly 10.8 million American adults vape and over half are under 35 says a report in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Currently, vaping is being marketed as the “healthy alternative” to tobacco though that is not the case. E-cigarette are given this title because it doesn’t cause the bad breath, tooth discoloration, and plaque build up of traditional cigarettes. When you choose to inhale nicotine in the form of a vape, you are still reducing your blood flow which, in turn, decreases your mouth’s ability to fight bacteria that could lead to gum disease.
Smoking
We have all heard about the negative affects of traditional smoking – it’s right on the package! When smoking cigarettes, your mouth and teeth are the first things the smoke hits, leaving them with the worse side effects. Smoking cigarettes can cause yellow staining, weakened enamel, a build-up of bacteria, etc. These side effects can cause bigger problems like gum disease, sensitive teeth, and even tooth decay, which results in a loss of teeth or even oral cancer.
Oral Health Issues
Smoking either via a vape or traditional cigarettes causes an abundance of issues with your over-all health that can cause dental problems. If you are an avid smoker and need wisdom teeth surgery, a crown, a tooth removed/ replaced or any other oral surgery you may be susceptible to challenges with wound healing. You need oxygen to heal and smoking reduces the amount of oxygen in your body. This means that your wound stays open longer which can lead to infection.
The good news – quitting for as little as a few days improves your blood flow and your cell response. If you are a smoker, the ADA recommends you visit your dentist regularly to monitor your mouth health. If you think you are due for a cleaning, contact us.