Stop Smoking and Smokeless Tobacco Use
If you smoke tobacco, or use smokeless tobacco products, then being told to quit might not exactly prompt you to do so. However, once they learn the exact dangers that tobacco use poses, many patients take it upon themselves to stop, and to improve their health and quality of life. If you or a loved one needs help to stop smoking or smokeless tobacco use, then Dr. Kania and our dedicated team will be happy to help.
Know What You’re Consuming
Cigarettes and other tobacco-smoking products owe much of their dangers to the chemicals that are released when tobacco is burned. Nevertheless, chewing tobacco and other smokeless alternatives are no better for your periodontal health, or your overall well-being. In fact, like cigarettes, smokeless tobacco contains a number of harmful chemicals (including a few known carcinogens, or cancer-causing agents). Some of the thousands of dangerous substances found in tobacco and tobacco smoke include:
- Acetone – also found in nail polish remover
- Ammonia – a powerful household cleaner
- Arsenic – one of the main ingredients in rat poison
- Carbon monoxide – poisonous gas often released through vehicle exhaust fumes
- Formaldehyde – embalming fluid for the deceased
- Tar – the same tar used to pave roads
- Nicotine – highly addictive agent; also used in several types of insecticide
- Polonium 210 – radioactive, and toxic, carcinogen
- And many, many more
Get Help with Smoking Cessation
Besides periodontal disease, tobacco use is also a known high-risk factor for lung cancer, oral cancer, emphysema, and a host of other systemic diseases. To learn how you can increase your chances of successful smoking cessation, schedule a consultation with Dr. Kania and our team by calling our periodontal office in Encinitas/San Diego, CA, at (760) 642-0711.