Smokers, Start To Reverse The Damage To Your Oral Health
Quitting is just the start of reversing any damage done to your teeth and gums through smoking.
It is a well known and widely acknowledged fact that smoking is bad for you on so many levels. It can cause many health issues such as cancer and heart disease, and can also affect your oral health quite badly, especially if you have been a long term and heavy smoker.
There are now many organisations that can help you to quit the habit and these are certainly worth contacting. Today’s blog will work on the presumption that you are intending to quit or have recently quit and we can then look at the steps that you will need to take to restore your oral health.
Step 1 – Quit smoking
The most obvious one of all. Stopping smoking might be difficult but the benefits are great. Better health and a healthier mouth and more attractive teeth are just some of the benefits that you will eventually see, but the first step is to actually quit.
Step 2 – Arrange a check up
Once you have quit smoking, it is essential that you have a thorough examination by the dentist at the Foxhall Dental Practice. There is a good chance that some harm has been done if you have smoked for some time. Aside from cosmetic issues, the most common problem caused by smoking is gum disease which we will discuss shortly. Your check up will also examine the oral cavity for potential signs of oral cancers such as soreness, lesions and other unusual markings. If we detect any of these, we will refer you to your GP for further investigation.
Being advised to see your GP does not mean that you necessarily have cancer. There could be other reasons too. In the unfortunate event that cancer is present though, it is essential that treatment starts early to provide the best possible outcome for you.
Step 3 – See the dental hygienist
We mentioned above that gum disease is one of the most likely outcomes of years of smoking. It isn’t the only thing that can lead to this but smokers are certainly in a high risk category.
There is a chance that any gum disease may have become very advanced and started to affect not only the gums but the tooth root and surrounding bone as well. In this case, the dentist may need to intervene and carry out a deep clean, sometimes also known as root scaling. This is a highly invasive procedure that cannot be carried out by a hygienist. For most people though, and especially if you have otherwise looked after your teeth with good quality brushing and flossing, a visit to our Ipswich dental hygienist is likely to be the next step.
The hygienist will carry out a scale and polish procedure of your teeth and gums. This removes hardened bacteria and minerals known as tartar or calculus. This three part procedure is non-invasive and highly effective. You may need to book yourself in for a longer appointment for your initial post smoking one as it may take longer to restore your teeth and gums to good health.
Step 4 – Restore the way your teeth look
With regular scale and polishes, usually on a six monthly basis, your teeth and gums should now be much healthier than before. There is one common problem left at this stage and that is the way that smoking has made your teeth look. Depending on how heavily and for how long you smoked, there is every likelihood that the colour of your teeth will no longer be white but a shade varying between yellow and dark brown. There are two treatments that we have available which can help to restore their appearance.
1 – teeth whitening
This is a non-invasive treatment which, in effect, bleaches your teeth and helps to whiten them. This would be particularly effective for those whose tooth discolouration is not too severe.
2 – dental veneers
For heavier staining, patients may achieve better results by having porcelain veneers attached to the front of their teeth. This is an invasive procedure but the results are long lasting, somewhere in the region of ten years with good care. Rather than change the colour of the tooth enamel, these very fine and natural looking veneers replace the affected surface enamel of the affected teeth, enabling you to have a great looking smile again.
If you are thinking of stopping smoking or have done so recently, now is the time to contact the Foxhall Dental Practice in Ipswich to see how we can help you get your teeth and gums back to a healthy state. If you would like to book an appointment for an initial check up and assessment with us so that a treatment plan can be put into place, please give us a call today on 01473 258396.