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Did Smoking Cause Periodontic Disease? Visit a Dentist

4 December 2019 by Harold Coleman

Smoking is not only the leading cause of cancer but also helps contribute heavily to many types of periodontic disease. If you haven't taken extra steps to keep your teeth and gums protected while you smoked, you likely need to visit a dentist as soon as possible. These professionals can help you manage a broad array of different health problems to keep your mouth safe. Below is more information about how your previous smoking habits may have caused periodontic disease in your mouth. 

How Periodontal Disease May Destroy Your Gums and Jaws

Smoking typically triggers a heavy increase in plaque production and oral decay that may quickly become a more serious problem. As plaque spreads throughout your mouth, it may trigger a disease known as gingivitis. And this disease can very quickly trigger pockets of bacteria throughout your mouth that can degrade your gums and devastate your teeth.

This problem will only worsen the longer that you smoke. For example, nicotine stains can easily feed the plaque and bacteria in your mouth and create an even more devastating situation. This concern will only worsen as you age and as your smoking problem worsens and becomes more difficult to manage. Therefore, you need to take the time to visit a dentist as often as possible.

How a Dentist Can Help

If you experience severe periodontal complications due to unchecked plaque and tartar spread, you need to visit a dentist as soon as possible. These professionals can provide a broad array of different care options such as scaling and root planing. This process helps to remove the tartar and strengthens the roots to keep them as strong as possible from decay. You must quit smoking, too.

Gum protection is also critical because they may end up degrading over time and become harder to protect. Just as importantly, you need to perform proper dental care maintenance, such as brushing and flossing your teeth, after your initial care. These simple steps seem obvious but are the first line of offense in protecting your teeth from peritonitis and other types of serious dental disorders.

So if you only recently quit smoking or otherwise have not properly cared for your teeth over the years, you may want to consider the many benefits of regularly visiting your dentist. Without help from a dentist, you may end up experiencing more extensive issues that could cause further degradation of your teeth, gums, and other areas in your mouth.

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