The Impact of Smoking & Vaping on Oral Health

Good oral health protects you from gum disease, cavities, tooth loss, and even oral cancer. Brushing, flossing, and visiting the dentist are important, but lifestyle habits like smoking and vaping undercut the good things you’re doing for your oral health! How do smoking and vaping impact your teeth and gums?

Smoking Causes Discoloration, Gum Disease, Cavities, and More

Smoking is one of the most harmful habits you can have. The tar in nicotine stains tooth enamel yellow and brown, and while teeth whitening can help, continuing to smoke only adds more stains. Worse, smoking harms your health. You produce less saliva, which increases your risk of gum disease, cavities, and eventually tooth loss. Smokers are actually three times more likely to lose all their teeth compared to non-smokers. Smokers are also significantly more likely to develop oral cancer!

Vaping Isn’t Much Better

Vaping, which is done with an e-cigarette, may be slightly less harmful than smoking, but the long-term effects aren’t clear yet. Experts do know vaping nicotine stains your teeth, though perhaps not as badly as regular smoking. Vaping also dries out your mouth, and without enough saliva to wash away bad bacteria, you increase your risk of gum disease and cavities. What if you vape liquids without nicotine? You can still get dry mouth, while liquids with sugar increase your cavity risk.

Protect Your Oral Health by Visiting Marigold Dental Studio in Pawtucket, RI

If you smoke or vape, it’s very important to keep up with regular checkups at the dentist! We can remove nicotine stains and catch gum disease, tooth decay, and oral cancer early. Dr. Alesh and the team are proud to offer services like preventative dentistry, restorative dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, and more. If you have questions about how smoking might be affecting your oral health or you want to book an appointment, please contact us today!

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Categorised in: Dental Tips