If there’s one thing all health experts agree on it’s that smoking is bad for us in every respect and tobacco increases the risk of heart disease, strokes, pneumonia and cancer.
Now new research, highlighted by Evesham Dental Health Team in Worcestershire, shows that more people in the UK are quitting for health not financial reasons. The Oral Health Foundation polled almost 500 smokers and found that two in three (66%) who plan to go smoke-free do so in a bid to improve their overall health.
According to NHS health experts, around 350,000 people are predicted to give up smoking in 2019, leaving rates at their lowest ever. The number of adults smoking in the UK has fallen by almost three million compared to ten years ago. Despite this, smoking is linked to almost 500,000 hospital admissions and nearly 80,000 deaths in England alone.
Dr Nigel Carter OBE, Chief Executive of the Oral Health Foundation said: “As an oral health charity, we have seen first-hand the damage that smoking can do. It is the leading cause of mouth cancer – a disease which claims the lives of more than 2,300 people a year in the UK.
“Smoking also increases the chance of gum disease, as well as tooth loss. It can also turn our teeth yellow.”
Behind ‘health’ the survey found that one in four (28%) name ‘cost’ as their reason for going smoke-free. Over the last ten years, the price of tobacco has increased by 91%. According to NHS Smokefree, most people who quit save around £250 each month on average.
Dr Carter said: “Purchasing packs of cigarettes undoubtedly burns a sizable hole in the nation’s pockets. This extra income could instead be used to help us achieve better health.
“The cost of maintaining good oral health, through good home care and regular visits to the dentist, is far less than the cost of smoking.”
Further findings from the investigation revealed that sheer willpower is what is helping quitters stay away from tobacco. Willpower was reported to be more effective than smoking cessation aids such as nicotine patches, gum and vapes.
If you smoke and would like to give your teeth a thorough hygiene clean, please contact us.
