It has surely not escaped you, we are in the heart of the month without tobacco. And you can still sign up for this smoking cessation aid. Geraldine Zamansky, from the Health magazine on France 5, may give you additional motivation to quit smoking, by telling you about your teeth.
franceinfo: Are teeth indeed much less well-known “victims” of smoking than the lungs?
Geraldine Zamansky: Exactly. First, smoking reduces the amount of saliva in the mouth. However, saliva has an action against bacteria. So you got it, the risk of cavities increases. And, much more seriously, cigarettes have different effects that can damage the gums to the point of causing teeth to fall out.
Sorry to bring this bad news to smokers who didn’t know it. But the brownish color of their enamel mainly reflects the deposit of a set of substances in their mouth. And with the lack of saliva, it contributes to the accumulation of the famous “dental plaque” at the edge of the gums. You know, what the dentist removes during “scaling”.
And for smokers, this “tartar”, this “dental plaque” is particularly dangerous?
Exactly because it is another favorite ground for bacteria which will proliferate very easily there. Indeed, smoking reduces the natural protection of the gums. It damages their blood vessels which normally supply oxygen and immune cells. Inflammation and infection can then develop, sometimes reaching the bone. Depending on the stage, we speak of gingivitis, periodontitis, then necrosis.
And at the end of this process, the teeth are no longer held and are at risk of falling out. If the vessels are severely damaged, it even prevents dental treatment capable of slowing down this process. Because healing could no longer take place properly. And this problem of scarring also reduces the possibility of putting an implant to replace the tooth.
Let’s move on to the good news, when you quit smoking, you quickly save your teeth?
Yes, if they are already in danger, they can at least be treated again by stopping for one to three months, depending on the level of smoking. I just have to warn of a somewhat unpleasant first step. To put it simply, the small vessels blocked by nicotine will begin to reopen. The gums may then bleed. If it is important, they can be examined by your dentist. Also depending on the amount of cigarettes smoked, the health of the gums is restored to “hold” the teeth well within a year.
It’s encouraging ! So if you are concerned, do not hesitate to seek professional help on the Tobacco Free Month website because it can really be difficult to quit smoking!