Quitting smoking is no easy accomplishment. Not only do rewards help reinforce your new good habits, but you also deserve them!
If you’ve just started the journey of quitting, a reward system is a great way to make sure you stay on track. Set aside the money you spend on cigarettes and use it to buy yourself small rewards for every day, week, month, and year you go smoke-free.
Then give yourself the ultimate gift: a smile makeover from Beaumont Family Dentistry. A new smile can hide your life as a smoker and give you more motivation to stick to your tobacco-free life.
Quitting smoking will eliminate a number of oral problems you’re having:
- Bad breath
- Stained teeth
- Muted sense of taste and smell
You may be experiencing side effects you had no idea were tied to your tobacco use. Read on to learn about some unexpected consequences of smoking and how we’re the Lexington, KY dentists to treat them once you quit.
A Smile Makeover Treats the Aesthetic Effects of Smoking
You’re already familiar with yellow smokers’ teeth. But were you aware of what tobacco can do to your gums and tongue?
- Stains aren’t limited to teeth. Pipe smokers may find themselves suffering from smoker’s melanosis, which can leave brown spots on your gums.
- Your teeth don’t have to just turn yellow. They can become brown or even black!
- Your fillings can become more prominent when they stop matching your tooth’s natural color.
- “Black hairy tongue” is something you definitely don’t want to Google. This harmless but gross condition happens when bacteria or fungi begin growing on the back of your tongue and become dark from tobacco use.
Regular exams and cleanings can definitely go a long way toward making sure you never have black hairy tongue. We can spot the growth of bacteria or fungi early on and offer you treatment for it.
To restore your smile to its original brightness, opt for a KöR whitening treatment. A combination of in-office and take-home procedures can make your grin eight shades brighter.
Quit Smoking for Lasting Results
It’s important to remember that no matter how bad smoking makes your teeth look, that’s nowhere near what tobacco use actually does to your mouth. You’re at risk for a number of ailments and illnesses, some of which you wouldn’t expect.
- Thrush is a fungal infection that often develops in the mouth but can spread to other parts of the body like your lungs, liver, and skin. Because smoking irritates the lining of your mouth, it creates a great environment for thrush to thrive. If it spreads, your doctor may need to take cultures and perform X-rays.
- Gum disease isn’t an all-that-surprising consequence of tobacco use, but its lack of symptoms leaves many smokers in shock. Although 50% of smokers have gum disease, many experience a false sense of security because their gums aren’t swollen. You see, nicotine constricts your blood vessels, making your gums less inflamed than they should be given their level of trauma.
- To make things worse, tobacco use can also limit the success of gum disease treatment.
- Tobacco users are more likely to have failed dental implants than those who do not smoke.
- In addition to oral cancer, smokeless tobacco can lead to cancer of the voice box, esophagus, bladder, and colon.
There’s a lot we can do at Beaumont Family Dentistry to make your smile look great, but only you can make it stay great. Continue to see us for cleanings and exams as you go on your journey toward quitting so we can spot early signs of injury and disease.
Make Over Your Smoke-Free Smile
Okay, so you’re going to quit. And when you do, you’re going to reward yourself with a smile makeover from Beaumont Family Dentistry. What are your options?
We’ve already discussed whitening. If your teeth have extreme damage and need more than just a color boost, we can place veneers on top of them. These thin porcelain shells look just like your natural teeth, only better. We offer a variety of types and will discuss your goals to determine what is the best one for you.
We’ve also covered your gums at length. We can treat your periodontal disease non-surgically, then create a follow-up plan of good hygiene for long-lasting comfort. We can also perform the state-of-the art Chao Pinhole® Surgical Technique to restore your gums to a healthy position without using a scalpel.
You are the only person who will cease your tobacco habit. We’re the family that will give you the smile you deserve for persevering. Call us today to start planning your smile makeover.