Last Updated on 18th September 2019
Giving up smoking is always a hot topic at this time of year and is often a popular choice for New Year’s resolutions. We all know the health benefits of giving up smoking but did you know that smoking puts people at much more risk of losing teeth through gum disease?
Alongside gum disease, smoking also causes bad breath, tooth staining and mouth cancer. (Please see our previous blog for more information about mouth cancer and how we can help.)
According to the Gum Disease Information Bureau, smoking increases bacterial plaque activity whilst reducing the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the gums. It generates free radicals that delay the healing process, making the gums more susceptible to infection.
Here at Evesham Dental Health Team on Broadway Road we offer tailored smoking cessation advice to help our patients, who come from Evesham, Cheltenham, Chipping Campden, Pershore, Worcester, Stratford, Winchcombe, Bidford, Alcester and beyond, to quit – and avoid gum disease.
Our dental nurses recently attended additional training provided by the Gloucestershire Stop Smoking Support Group so that we can offer the very latest advice and guidance to our patients.
We always ask whether and how much you smoke. And if you do, we can advise how it affects your health and recommend you cut back and preferably, stop. We can also point you in the direction of nearby ’stop smoking’ clinics if you would like any further help.
For more information visit the Worcestershire Stop Smoking Services and the NHS Live Well websites.
To find your nearest NHS stop smoking service telephone Healthy Lifestyle Hub 01905 363 909 or contact your GP or local pharmacy for quit smoking advice. Alternatively if you have a question about stopping smoking you can call the free Smokefree National Helpline on 0300 123 1044.
Gum disease is the single biggest cause of tooth loss and it affects most adults and more than half of all teenagers. It causes sensitivity, bad breath and bleeding gums and has also been linked to heart disease, diabetes, bacterial lung infections, premature births and strokes. It often progresses as a chronic infection without patients realising, destroying the bone around the teeth.
The good news is that with regular visits to your dentist, and especially your hygienist, as well as a meticulous dental hygiene routine at home, gum disease can be controlled.
If you have any questions, please ask us at your next appointment or give us a call for more information.
