Dentures are a tried-and-true method for replacing lost teeth, and countless generations of patients have benefitted from these beautiful, lifelike prosthetics. However, there are few things out there that pose as big a threat to dentures as smoking – and with roughly 20% of the world’s population regularly smoking cigarettes and using tobacco, it’s important to highlight how these habits negatively impact dental health and dentures. Here’s what you need to know.
How Does Smoking Affect Dental Health?
If you smoke or use tobacco, there’s a long list of reasons why you should consider quitting – and near the very top of this list is the negative impact that these consumables have on one’s oral health. Smoking doesn’t just stain your teeth or make your breath foul; it also takes a significant toll on your gum health specifically.
As you smoke, your gums become slightly harder in response to the smoke you’re inhaling. The gums can also shrink and start to recede when you smoke or chew tobacco, which affects the fit of your dentures and also makes you more vulnerable to oral infection. The nicotine in cigarettes also restricts your mouth’s blood flow, meaning that your gum and jawbone tissue will take longer to heal and regenerate.
How Does Smoking Affect Dentures?
Smoking essentially makes one’s mouth an unsuitable environment for dentures; however, the habit can also negatively impact the prosthetics themselves. Tobacco can stain dentures just as easily as it can stain natural teeth, and since the materials used to make the dentures are slightly porous, they’re able to absorb odors over time. Imagine tasting tobacco every single time you wear your dentures, and not being able to wash out the taste – that’s precisely what can happen! Of course, your dentures also won’t fit correctly if your oral health is compromised and your gums are swollen, or if smoking has accelerated jawbone atrophy.
The bottom line is that if you wear dentures, you don’t want to just keep your prosthetic clean and intact; you also want to keep your mouth as healthy as possible, and smoking or using tobacco heavily undermines this. That said, there’s no better reason to quit the habit than to promote the health and beauty of your smile – after all, smiling is far more attractive than smoking!
About the Practice
Under the leadership of Drs. Ryan Shaffer and Steven Shaffer, the talented team at South Ridge Dental have proudly served families in Lincoln for several years. They offer a wide range of preventive, cosmetic, and restorative treatment options, such as various types of dentures for patients with all degrees of tooth loss including implant dentures. If you have any questions about the blog or you’d like to get in touch with the team to set up an appointment, you can visit their website or call them today for further information or assistance. Telephone: (402) 423-1616.