Smoking is bad for health, which has been well documented in many studies. Smoking is also a major cause of many dental problems.
According to medical statistics, smokers are three to six times more likely to develop oral diseases and the risk of tooth loss is very high, twice as high as that of ordinary people. Common oral health problems of smoking are inflammation of the teeth, gums and bone around the teeth.
Periodontitis (periodontal disease)
Tobacco increases the severity and spread of periodontal disease. Smokers are at increased risk of gingivitis, with more plaque and tartar in both upper and lower gums. Younger smokers are at increased risk for inflammation of the ulcerative necrosis, which is a serious disease that quickly results in inflammation of the anal cavity and eventually tooth loss. Healthy people who smoke for many years will be at risk for chronic inflammation of the teeth, progressing slowly, causing more tooth decay.
Other oral mucosal lesions
Nicotine stomatitis (Nicotinic stomatitis) is a change in the hard palate of the mouth due to excessive smoking, the palate mucosa becomes white with tiny urethritis, with red spots. This lesion will disappear after stopping smoking, in some cases becoming epithelial cancer.
Melanoma: Cigarette increases melanin pigmentation in oral epithelial cells, darkening the mucous membranes, after stopping smoking.
Candida Oral: Tobacco increases the risk of candidiasis of oral candidiasis.
Chronic sinusitis: Tobacco causes sinus lymphadenopathy and increases the risk of chronic sinusitis.
Oral mucosal cancer
Smoking and chewing tobacco can stimulate epithelial cells of the tongue, cheek, mouth and other oral and throat sites to produce leukoplakia and progress to cancer. Squamous cell carcinoma. The malnourished, vitamin A, D, E dieters who smoke are more likely to develop oral cancer. People who are both smokers and alcoholics will be more affected because the alcohol increases the permeability of the gastrointestinal tract epithelium. Chewing tobacco causes more damage to the carcinoma than smoking tobacco. About 90% of people with oral cancer, lips, tongue and throat due to smoking and the risk of disease increase in proportion to the level of smoking or chewing. Smokers are 6 times more likely to develop cancer than non-smokers.
Approximately 37% of patients continue to smoke after cancer treatment with signs of tumor spreading to other sites such as mouth, lips, tongue and throat.