It is no secret that the consumption of alcohol and smoking is dangerous for your overall health. It can not only cause complications to your overall body functioning but also it can cause complications to your teeth and gums. By simply quitting smoking and alcohol, you can reduce the level of risk to your oral health. Everybody knows that kicking the habit of smoking and alcohol doesn’t come easy. However, you’re at a greater risk of a dental emergency if you continue.
Not only is your oral health at risk, but as a consequence, you could be out of pocket quickly as you’ll need dental emergency treatment such as a root canal or tooth extraction. Read here to learn the implications of smoking if you’ve had tooth extraction treatment.
The Symptoms
Here, we outline some of the symptoms you will likely to experience through regular consumption of alcohol and smoking.
- Discolouration – Your teeth are increasingly likely to stain through heavy build-up and plaque and tartar. Expect the shade of your teeth to darken. Sometimes, even a deep clean of teeth through a scale-and-polish may not be enough. It can make your teeth dark for a very long time.
- Gum Disease – Alcohol leaves you at risk of gum disease due to its sugar content. Alcohol also causes dehydration in the mouth. The saliva flow reduces which leads to further tooth decay and gum disease because saliva is necessary to fight bacteria forming on teeth. Smoking causes bacteria plaque that also leads to gum disease and is the most common form of tooth loss.
- Oral Cancer – Oral cancer is very common for smokers. Symptoms involve persistent ulcers in the mouth or the lip, red and white patches, swelling and if you’re a denture patient they will suddenly begin to come loose. This is also the case when consuming alcohol.
- Poor Dental Healing – If you regularly consume alcohol and are a regular smoker, you’re more likely to develop a dry socket. This can occur after tooth extraction treatment leading to severe pain that can last for a long time. Your oral health may also be at such severe risk that the state of your teeth and gums may not cater for further dental treatment. For example, without a strong jawbone, you won’t be eligible for an implant or root canal.
Seeking guidance to quit alcohol and smoking consumption may be the most valuable decision you make for your oral health. It is also important that you regularly clean your teeth and gums twice a date with fluoride toothpaste to keep your teeth clean from plaque and tartar. Alcohol and smoking also reduce resistance to future infections.
Visiting the dentist for advice on smoking and alcohol is a good first step to understand the implications to your oral health. Contact us at Integrated Smiles and let our specialist and knowledge dentists help.
