{"id":277,"date":"2018-10-31T08:30:44","date_gmt":"2018-10-31T13:30:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lrfamilydentalcare.com\/?p=277"},"modified":"2020-05-18T15:38:09","modified_gmt":"2020-05-18T15:38:09","slug":"smoking-affects-the-teeth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lrfamilydentalcare.com\/blog\/smoking-affects-the-teeth\/","title":{"rendered":"How Cigarette Smoking Affects The Teeth, Gums, and Tongue"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cigarette smoking among adults in the U.S. hit an all-time low of 14% in 2017, down from 42.4% in 1965<\/a>. Unfortunately, this still means that tens of millions of Americans are placing themselves at risk for developing lung cancer, heart disease, and dozens of other diseases and illnesses that are caused by smoking.<\/p>\n

Cigarette smoke not only impacts your heart and lungs, but it also adversely affects smokers\u2019 oral health, damaging the teeth, gums, and tongue.<\/p>\n

In addition to cigarettes, vaping using electronic cigarette devices (usually called e-cigarettes) has risen in popularity among younger generations, and although it’s generally considered “safer,” smoke is still introduced into the body and with it a number of other chemicals and inhalants.<\/p>\n

Learn about the short and long-term effects of smoking and how it impacts your oral health.<\/p>\n

Common Dental Problems Caused by Cigarette Smoking<\/h2>\n

Tooth Discoloration<\/h3>\n

Cigarette smoke is thick enough to stain painted walls, windows, and even car seats, so it should come as no surprise that it\u2019s able to stain teeth as well. A regular smoker\u2019s teeth typically exhibit a more yellowish color. This often results in higher dental care costs, as smokers must whiten their teeth more frequently.<\/p>\n

Discolored teeth not only look bad, but they can negatively impact your career and social life. Many professional careers depend on a clean appearance, and if your teeth are yellowed or stained from using cigarettes, it may impact your job prospects.<\/p>\n

Additionally, yellow teeth can affect your social life. If you’re dating or looking to meet new people, your yellow teeth might be telling people you have poor hygiene. In-office teeth whitening<\/a> might be ideal if you’ve quit smoking and want a cosmetic dentist to restore your smile.<\/p>\n

We work with a number of whitening products, including the GLO Science Teeth Whitening system<\/a>. And if you have more questions about teeth whitening, check out our teeth whitening FAQ page for help!<\/p>\n

Tooth Decay<\/h3>\n

According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tobacco cigarette smoke contains some 7,000 chemicals, including acetone, acetic acid, ammonia, arsenic, benzene, butane, cadmium, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, lead, naphthalene, methanol, nicotine, tar, and toluene. Many of these chemicals attack and break down the protective enamel covering the teeth, making the prone to decay.<\/p>\n

The increased risk of tooth decay<\/a> among smokers places them at a higher risk for losing teeth. And losing just a single tooth can shift other teeth out of position.<\/p>\n

If you experience severe tooth decay from prolonged smoking and other poor hygiene habits, you might have to undergo some of the following:<\/p>\n