A new year is a great opportunity to kick an undesired habit, and for many Americans, 2018 is the year they plan to finally quit smoking. If you’re among this group, that’s great. Smoking cessation improves your lung function, reduces your risk of heart disease, and it even has some benefits for your oral health!
At Beaumont Family Dentistry in Lexington, KY, we know that our Commonwealth consistently has some of the highest smoking rates in the U.S. So, we thought we’d take a moment to discuss some of the ways quitting smoking improves your oral health, just in case you needed a little extra motivation to kick the habit!
Read on to learn more. Then, if you’re looking to further improve your oral health on your journey to cessation and beyond, consider Beaumont Family Dentistry. We offer excellent comprehensive dentistry at our three convenient locations. Give us a call at the office nearest you:
- Beaumont: 859-223-2120
- Hamburg: 859-687-0975
- Leestown: 859-368-8260
1) Your Teeth Will Stop Yellowing.
Let’s start with a benefit you’ll notice right away after you quit smoking: Your teeth will stop yellowing. If you’ve noticed that your smile has dulled since you began smoking, it’s because tobacco products stain your teeth and your tongue. Sure, this is a cosmetic benefit, but for some people, seeing signs of progress like this encourage them to keep going on their cessation journey.
Want to incentivize good behavior? Set a goal — for example, going 2 months without a cigarette — and then reward yourself with a teeth whitening treatment from Beaumont Family Dentistry. Using powerful Zoom whitening products, we’re able to remove years of stains in a single appointment. We also can custom-make whitening trays that allow you to effectively whiten your teeth in the privacy of your own home!
You’ll be amazed at the results. And chances are, you’ll want to continue your cessation streak so you maintain a beautiful and brilliant smile.
2) You’ll Reduce Your Risk Of Oral Cancer.
After five years of smoking cessation, your risk of oral cancer is cut in half, according to the American Cancer Society. Of course, it takes some time to get there, but you have to start somewhere.
Historically, the death rate for oral cancer has been particularly high because it often goes undetected until the patient is in the later stages of the illness.
But at Beaumont Family Dentistry, we’ve been working to offer oral cancer screenings for our patients. That’s why we’ve invested in a piece of technology called the VELscope. It’s the most powerful tool available for detecting oral abnormalities, even before they’re visible to the naked eye.
Because smoking even recreationally can increase your chances of oral cancer, partner with the compassionate team at Beaumont Family Dentistry for routine screenings. We want to see you succeed when it comes to smoking cessation, and we want to minimize your risk of serious health complications along the way.
3) You’ll Be Less Likely To Have Gum Disease.
Did you know that smokers who smoked less than half a pack of cigarettes a day are nearly three times as likely as non-smokers to have an aggressive form of gum disease called periodontitis? That’s according to the American Dental Hygienists’ Association.
Periodontitis wreaks all sorts of havoc on your dental health. Gum disease can cause:
- Red, swollen, and tender gums
- Bleeding gums
- Bad breath
- Loose or shifting teeth
- Gum line recession
Left untreated, gum disease can compromise the health of your tooth roots, causing them to become infected. This can lead to possible tooth extraction.
There is some good news, though. Gum disease can be treated and managed, and we make it easy at Beaumont Family Dentistry. In addition to deep cleanings that help eradicate the infection that causes gum disease, we offer a more comfortable way to repair the damage done by gum line recession. The innovative Chao Pinhole® Surgical Technique requires no surgical cutting or sutures, and the average case takes less than a couple hours!
4) Your Food Will Taste Better.
We’ll end with one last benefit that you’ll also experience right away after you stop smoking. You’ll notice that your food tastes better!
One recent study found that in general, the higher a person’s nicotine dependence, the lower their sensitivity to taste. In other words, smoking seems to dull your ability to taste foods. But don’t worry. After roughly two months without tobacco products, your palette will be comparable to that of a non-smoker again.
Let’s Work Together Toward Smoking Cessation And Improved Oral Health
Our caring team wants to encourage you during your journey toward smoking cessation! From routine checkups and cleanings to cosmetic procedures, we offer a wide variety of high-quality services in the same practice.
Give us a call today at any of our three locations, or use our convenient online form to request an appointment.