Quitting Tobacco Protects Your Smile

When you smoke, use smokeless tobacco, or vape, you expose your gums and more to harmful chemicals. The risk of cancer is higher, and you could be susceptible to a stage of periodontal disease linked to tooth loss. In today’s blog, your Encinitas/San Diego, CA, periodontist talks about why you should quit tobacco!

Tobacco and Periodontal Disease

When we smoke cigarettes, vape, or use smokeless tobacco, this exposes our body to a host of harmful chemicals. In addition, the nicotine content causes addiction, which makes quitting a very difficult process. We urge people to avoid them entirely, but if you already smoke or use other tobacco products, we want to offer tips for quitting so you can protect your gum health and your overall health too.

The Risk of Oral Cancer and More

When we use these products, this can increase the risk of oral cancer, as well as mouth and throat cancer, and even emphysema and lung cancer. You could notice warning signs like sudden weight loss, changes to your voice or persistent hoarseness, or sores and lesions that form and don’t heal for over two weeks. This could also impact your gum health, increasing the risk of gingivitis or boosting the chances of developing the later stage of the disease known as periodontitis, which can cause painful symptoms, receding gums that make teeth appear long and uneven, and could increase the risk of tooth loss. Don’t let the stability and health of your smile suffer, talk to us about your options.

Quitting and Managing Periodontal Disease

We could discuss possible options to aid in the quitting process, such as nicotine patches or gum to help reduce your dependence over time. Some may need to quit cold turkey, or could even consider options like hypnosis. There are tons of options available to help you quit. If you have periodontal disease, we could also use lasers to help trim away the diseased tissues and reshape the gum line. We could use the conservative Pinhole Surgical Technique to address receding gum tissues. Following treatment, we could employ Ozone Therapy, Supportive Periodontal Maintenance, or even antimicrobial medications to help manage the issue so your gums stay healthy and strong.

If you have any questions about how our team will aid the quitting process and manage your periodontal disease to keep your smile stable and beautiful, then contact our team today.

Talk to Dr. Kania About Keeping Your Smile Whole

Our team wants to help you enjoy good oral health and avoid the complications of smoking! To learn more about preserving your periodontal health or to schedule your appointment, give us a call at our office in Encinitas, CA today at 760-642-0711.