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Oral health is today as much a matter of will as it is the daily routine of brushing your teeth and paying your dentist regular hygiene visits. World Cancer Day is celebrated each year on the 4th of February and Health Secretary, Andy Burnham has announced a new governmental initiative to cut the number of smokers by half to just 10% of the population here in Britain. Among the Heath Secretary’s more controversial plans are removing cigarette branding from packs and extending the workplace smoking ban to include areas such as office doorways and other heavily pedestrianised areas.

 

As a concerned company, Dencover – a dental insurance company – agree that more should be done by local and national governments to prevent children between the ages of 12 and 16 accessing tobacco products from vending machines and corner shops.  Although it is common knowledge that smoking is bad for your health - being a leading cause of lung disease, throat cancer and heart disease - Dencover Insurance would also like to highlight a far less well know problem. Smokers may not realise that smoking also increases the risk of periodontal disease.

 

Research conducted by the American Academy of Periodontology showed that smoking and tobacco use posed “one of the most significant risk factors in the development and progression of periodontal disease”. They also noted that the chemicals in tobacco products would slow down the healing process following periodontal treatment or any other oral surgery.

 

Smokers have an increased risk of dental calculus forming on their teeth. Once plaque becomes dental calculus, it can only be removed with professional cleaning. If it is not removed, bacteria will start to destroy the gum and the gum will pull away from the teeth forming periodontal pockets. Periodontal pockets soon fill up with all sorts of debris and become a haven for bacteria.

 

As the bacteria grow, the periodontal pockets become deeper, exacerbating the problem. The result is the loss of supporting bone and tissue and the eventual loss of teeth. The same research showed that tobacco users lose more teeth than non-tobacco users.

The study showed the problem was not limited to cigarette smokers. Cigar and pipe smokers experienced tooth loss at a similar rate.

 

If you are a smoker, you may have a greater susceptibility to periodontal disease than any other group. Is smoking really worth it? Quit smoking today and bring back your smile.