The average out-of-pocket price for a pack a cigarettes in the United States is $6.18. But the true cost of smoking can’t be measured in dollars and cents. At my dental office in Glen Allen, we’d like to share some scary facts about smoking and encourage you to put down the cigarettes once and for all.
When a lot of us think of the effects of smoking, we immediately think of lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, and premature death. While all of those diseases and very scary realities should definitely be talked about, smoking can also have some detrimental effects on oral health.
Appearance
On the surface, smoking can lead to bad breath, discoloration of teeth, and premature aging. If we dig a little deeper and examine the inside of the mouth, as well as the gums and the teeth, we may find some even worse damage caused by cigarettes.
Oral Cancer
Since your mouth is the first area of your body to become exposed to cigarette smoke, it’s only natural that it be subjected to many of its hazardous ingredients. Like with other types of cancer, smokers are at increased risk for oral cancer. But that’s not all.
Gum Disease
Smoking is one of the leading causes of gum disease. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control puts smokers at seven times greater risk for developing gum disease than non-smokers. What’s more, 75% of all adult periodontal disease can be attributed to smoking. Gum disease is a serious health concern and has been linked with heart disease, stroke, difficulty controlling blood sugar, and tooth loss.
Tooth Loss
According to the Academy of General Dentistry, male smokers lose 2.9 teeth for every 10 years of smoking, and women lose 1.5. So remember that initial cost of $6.18 per pack? While that may seem rather inexpensive, we can see how each pack of cigarettes ends up costing much more.
It’s extremely crucial for smokers to keep up with regularly scheduled appointments at my Glen Allen dental office. Here, we don’t judge or lecture, but we will work with you to keep your mouth healthy and monitor you closely for any potential problems.
Welcoming patients from Glen Allen, Richmond, Short Pump, and surrounding areas.