Smoking Can Ruin Your Smile

Periodontal Disease: Frequently called pyorrhea, periodontal disease is the gradual destruction of the tissues and bone that support the teeth. Smokers of both sexes have significantly more of the severe, advanced form of the disease than people who do not smoke. In relation to this particular dental problem, one study indicated that even relatively young smokers have oral health as poor as that of nonsmokers who are 15 years older.

Early Loss of Teeth: Other research suggests that smoking, in combination with poor oral hygiene, hastens the destruction of the alveolar bone in which teeth are anchored, thus leading to eventual tooth loss. A study of nearly 10,000 people in Michigan found significantly more loss of teeth among men and women who smoked than among nonsmokers of the same ages. Women between the ages of 20 and 39 and men between 30 and 59 were twice as likely to have lost their teeth if they were smokers.

Gingivitis: This inflammation of the gums is an early stage of periodontal disease. One of the severe forms of this disease is ulceromembranous gingivitis, often called trenchmouth. It attacks suddenly and causes bleeding gums, pain and foul odor. The disease occurs more often among heavy smokers than light or nonsmokers.

Oral Cancer: While any dental problem can cause discomfort, the most serious from the standpoint of the patient's health and even life is oral cancer. In addition to the link between pipe smoking and cancer of the lip, there is considerable evidence that the use of tobacco is associated with the development of other forms of cancer of the mouth and throat. Cigarette smokers' death rates from these forms of cancer are seven times higher than those of nonsmokers. Pipe and cigar smokers have death rates from these diseases four times as high as those who do not use tobacco. Furthermore about one-third of smokers who have been cured of primary oral cancer develop a second cancer if they continue smoking. On the other hand, those who stop completely run only a small risk of getting a second cancer.