Effects of smoking on your oral health
You probably already know that smoking is bad for your health. It can cause several health problems, including reduced fertility, heart disease and cancer. But how does it affect your mouth, gums and teeth? Here we outline various effects on your oral health, from stained teeth to oral cancer, and some tips to protect your smile.
Stained teeth
Smoking can stain your teeth. When you smoke, the nicotine and tar in tobacco, which is found in cigarettes, can settle within the tooth enamel (the thin outer shell of your teeth). This can turn your teeth yellow very quickly, and if you’re a heavy smoker, your teeth could eventually turn brown.
Tobacco stains are often tough to remove, but can usually be treated using professional stain removal and teeth whitening treatment, carried out or prescribed by your dentist.
Gum disease
In the UK, 90% of adults have some form of gum disease1. If you smoke, you’re even more likely to develop the condition, and it can worsen more quickly2. Gum disease occurs when bacterial plaque (a sticky film that forms on teeth) builds up at the gum line. It can result in tooth loss as well as other serious health problems, if left untreated.
For smokers, it’s also difficult to fight off gum disease, as smoking weakens the immune system. And after your gums have been damaged, healing is more difficult as smoking reduces the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream.
Spotting gum disease can be harder too, as smoking can mask some of the symptoms. One typical sign is bleeding gums while brushing and flossing, which may not occur if you smoke, as nicotine decreases blood flow to the gums. It’s important to see your dentist for regular check-ups, they’ll be able to detect problems such as gum disease and treat them early on.
Bad breath and a loss of taste
When you smoke, its smell can linger on your breath. And smoking can cause a dry mouth and make gum disease more likely, which can both lead to bad breath, also known as halitosis.
As well as affecting your breath, smoking can also impair your senses and cause a loss of smell and taste.
Long healing after treatment
Smokers are more likely to experience pain after oral surgery, and longer healing times, due to a decreased blood flow with less oxygen. After tooth extractions, you’re at greater risk of developing an empty, poor-healing tooth socket, known as a ‘dry socket,’ if you smoke, which can be painful. And if you have dental implants fitted, smoking can make it harder for them to heal, and more likely to fail.
Before treatment, your dentist will take a full medical history, including your smoking history, to help determine your suitability and provide recommendations. And if you do experience pain after any treatment, it’s important to get in touch with your dentist.
Mouth cancer
If you smoke, you’re at greater risk of developing cancer. This is because the tobacco within cigarettes is carcinogenic – it includes chemicals which can change your DNA and lead to cancer. One type that smoking can lead to is mouth cancer, of which smoking is a top cause. In fact, over 60% of mouth cancers have links to smoking.3
Your dentist may be able to spot mouth cancer in its early stages, so it’s important to have regular dental check-ups. And the earlier it’s diagnosed, the better your chances of recovery.
Some key symptoms you may be able to spot, include:
- Pain in your mouth
- Swellings, lumps or bumps on your lips, gums or other areas inside your mouth
- Ulcers in your mouth that won’t go away
- Difficulty in chewing or swallowing
- White or red patches in your mouth
- Bleeding from your mouth
- Numbness (loss of feeling) in your mouth
Find out more about how to spot the symptoms of mouth cancer.
These symptoms aren’t always caused by mouth cancer, but if you have any of these, it’s important to see your GP or dentist.
How to protect your smile
Here are some top tips to keep your mouth healthy and happy:
- See your dentist for regular check-ups. They can look out for early signs of mouth cancer as well as signs of gum disease masked by smoking
- Brush your teeth twice a day, with fluoride toothpaste
- Floss regularly to clean hard to reach areas
- You can use mouthwash to help keep bad breath at bay and add a fluoride boost
- Giving up smoking is the best way to protect your teeth and gums, and lower your chance of developing mouth cancer. Even if you’ve been smoking for many years, stopping can reduce your risk of smoking-related illnesses. For advice on giving up smoking, see Bupa’s useful tips on how to break a smoking habit.
Get in touch with your local practice.
If you have any questions on how to keep your mouth healthy, or would like to book a dental check-up, contact your nearest practice.
1- https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/thebirminghambrief/items/2015/05/nearly-all-of-us-have-gum-disease-28-05-15.aspx
2- https://www.dentalhealth.org/smoking-and-oral-health
3 - https://www.dentalhealth.org/mouth-cancer-risk-factors#:~:text=Smoking%20tobacco%20increases%20your%20risk,cancers%20are%20linked%20to%20smoking
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