5 Dental Care Tips For Smokers

Each day, the typical tobacco user consumes somewhere between 10 to 19 cigarettes. Though smoking might feel enjoyable, it does take a toll on the body. Understanding how smoking impacts your oral health can help you take better care of your teeth.

Why Is Dental Care Important for Smokers?

Of course, the most obvious problem is that nicotine stains the teeth. Tobacco users end up with brownish or yellow spots, especially on the front teeth. Consuming nicotine also impacts blood flow throughout the body. The tissues of your mouth don’t get enough oxygen-rich blood, which leads to many oral health issues, including:

• Bad breath
• Reduced saliva production
• Increased risk of cavities
• More jawbone density loss
• High risk of gum disease
• Gum recession
• Tooth loss

Keep in mind that the issue is the tobacco itself, so you can encounter problems even if you don’t smoke cigarettes. Pipes, cigars, vape pens, and chewing tobacco can cause just as many issues.

Dental Care Tips for Smokers

If you’re not ready to stop smoking yet, it’s important to pay close attention to your dental care. Follow these tips to help reduce your chances of major dental problems.

1. Get a Toothpaste that helps with stains

Try to find a toothpaste that is specially made to remove teeth stains. These toothpastes have a formula that helps to tackle nicotine stains. Activated Charcoal has been a great natural alternative over fluoride smokers toothapste.  

2. Stay On Top of Your Tooth Brushing Routine

If you smoke, you really cannot let your oral health care slide. Even skipping a session or only brushing your teeth for a couple seconds can cause problems. You need to set a strict schedule and stick with it. Make sure you are brushing your teeth twice a day and spending two minutes on each session.

3. Don’t Forget to Floss

Flossing helps to clean between teeth and along the gum line, so it can greatly help to maintain gum health. You need to remember to floss once a day. Research has shown this is one of the best things you can do to reduce gum disease risks.

4. Rinse With a Mouthwash

Smoking causes more bacterial buildup inside the mouth. These infection-causing organisms often hide in places you can’t easily reach with a toothbrush. To get your mouth as clean as possible, switch an antibacterial mouthwash around after you brush your teeth.

5. Go to the Dentist Regularly

Most oral health problems aren’t a big deal as long as you catch them early. However, if you ignore them, a tiny cavity can turn into a huge abscess. To prevent this from happening, you need to get dental cleanings and exams every six months. They can check on your mouth and let you know about any potential issues. If you’re particularly high-risk due to age or health conditions like diabetes, your dentist might even suggest you visit every four months.

With these tips, you can help to combat the effects of smoking. Though you still might have a higher risk for certain oral health problems, you can protect yourself from major issues.