The effect of smoking on your mouth
Smoking can affect the health of your mouth. As well as the obvious effects such as bad breath, stained tongue and stained teeth, including dentures,1 it can also result in a diminished sense of taste.2 Smoking greatly increases the risk of periodontal disease (gum disease) and subsequent tooth loss, impairs healing after oral surgery, decreases the likelihood that dental implants will be successful, and causes oral cancer.2,3
The smoking and chewing of tobacco products can affect a person’s appearance, ranging from yellowed fingers to increased premature facial wrinkling. Wrinkling increases around the face and mouth with tiny wrinkles spreading from the upper and lower lips. The risk of wrinkling increases the longer you smoke and the more cigarettes smoked.1,4
Up to 20% of Australians suffer from a form of periodontal disease.5,6 Smoking is a major risk factor and increases gum disease in different forms such as tooth loss, tooth sensitivity and increased tartar on the teeth.2,3 Smoking increases your chance of getting gum disease by about six times and increases the severity by the same factor.7 This can cause serious destruction of the tissues around the teeth, which can result in tooth loss as well as pain. Smoking can also delay the healing of any injured tissues in the mouth, such as ulcers, or following oral surgery.2,3
Cigar smokers are also at increased risk of periodontal disease, staining of the teeth and tongue as well as bad breath.3
Oral cancers include cancers of the oral cavity, mouth and lip. In Australia, 57% of oral cancers in men and 51% in women are caused by smoking.8 Quitting smoking can significantly reduce your risk of oral cancer. The risks are halved five years after smoking cessation.9 Also see the fact sheets ‘Smoking causes mouth and throat cancer’ and ‘Cigar smoking causes mouth and throat cancer’ for more information.
Quitting smoking will improve your general dental health. Five days after quitting, your sense of taste will have improved.10 ess
Quitting smoking can also benefit tooth retention, however it may take decades for the rate of tooth loss to return to the same as a non-smoker.11
Sources
1. Action on Smoking and Health UK (ASH), ASH Briefing, Tobacco and Oral Health, November 2001;3.
2. American Council on Science and Health. Cigarettes: What the warning label doesn’t tell you. Second edition. New York, American Council on Science and Health, 2003.
3. American Dental Association, Oral Health Topics A-Z, Smoking (Tobacco) Cessation. (printed 03/07/07).
4. Kadunce DP, Burr R, Gress R, Kanner R, Lyon JL, Zone JJ. Cigarette smoking: risk factor for premature facial wrinkling. Annals of Internal Medicine 1991;114:840-844.
5. Brennan DS, Spencer AJ, Slade GD. Prevalence of periodontal conditions among public-funded dental patients in Australia. Aust Dent J. 2001;46(2):114-121.
6. Dental Practice Education Research Unit, The University of Adelaide. Smoking and oral health, Special Topic No 1, (printed 25/07/07).
7. Australian Dental Association. Frequently Asked Questions – Smoking. (printed 25/07/07).
8. AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) & AACR (Australasian Association of Cancer Registries) 2007. Cancer in Australia: an overview, 2006. Cancer Series no.37. Cat. No. CAN 32. Canberra: AIHW.
9. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The health consequences of smoking: a report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2004.
10. Smoking Cessation Guidelines for Australian General Practice. 2004 Edition.
11. Krall EA, Dawson-Hughes B, Garvey AJ and Garcia RI. Smoking, smoking cessation and tooth loss. Journal of Dental Research, Vol 76, 1653-1659. (printed 25/07/07).
Reasons to quit
Every cigarette you don’t smoke is doing you good. There are many health benefits to quitting, some of which you’ll be able to notice within hours or days. Similarly, within days, you’ll also notice the extra money in your pocket you’ve saved from quitting.
Ways to quit
Quitting smoking can be one of the most difficult, yet rewarding things a person can do. Most smokers' say they would like to quit, and may have tried at least once. These tips and facts will assist you in quitting for good.
Help and support
Quitting smoking can be hard, but you’re not alone. Quitline and Quit Coach can offer the support and guidance you need to quit for good.
Health Professionals
General practitioners and other health care professionals have an important role to play in assisting patients to quit. This section provides useful information, specific to health care professionals.