The very first thought that comes to our minds when it comes to the side
effects of smoking to our health are most of the time, ailments such
as cancer, emphysema, and other lung diseases. However, not to our
knowledge, smoking may harm our oral health as well, which is more than
what we usually known, such as bad breath and stained teeth. For
example, there is a greater probability for a chain smoker to develop
periodontal diseases, even though they have good oral hygiene. Going to a
scientific explanation, the health of your gums decline, and most of
the time, resulting to bone and tooth loss. In fact, there are times
that a Sydney dentist
refuse to treat a chain smokers if they don't quit smoking, for no
matter how they make continuous treatments, the damage will just
continue over and over again.
There was once a case study issued in The Journal of the American Dental Association, mentioned that there was a feasible connection existing in between secondhand smoke and dental cavities in kids. Even if your child doesn't smoke, he/she cannot escape the dangers of secondhand smoking, including the effects it can bring about to your child's oral health. In fact, authors analyzed 15 high quality observational studies and learned that 10 of the studies exhibited a low to medium connection amidst secondhand smoke, and cavities in primary teeth. On the otherhand, the remaining five studies, produced a weaker results of the relationship between secondhand smoke and perennial teeth of children.
And to prove the reliability of the connection between caries and secondhand smoke, another set of studies were made, and this study have concluded that secondhand smoke gives children higher probability than usual of having oral health problems. The initial case study was issued last 2008 in the Archives of Oral Biology. It revealed that children exposed to secondhand smoke had more tooth cavities than children who are not exposed to cigarette smoke. It also exhibited that children who are exposed to secondhand smoke have greater numbers of pathogenic oral bacteria, an extra acidic saliva, and a lesser salivary flow. All these factors lead to the formation of dental caries.
The next study was issued in 2010, in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology, discovered that children exposed to cigarette smoking exhibits a decline of their gum tissues. In this study, the reseachers tried to get the measurement of the levels of continine (this is the main metabolite of nicotine) in children's saliva, urine, and gingival crevicular fluid, including regulated periodontal exams too. Children exhibiting greater continine content revealed weaker clamp of gum tissues to the alveolar bone and tooth framework. It is still unclear though. These holdings were more prominent in children whose fathers are chain smokers in comparison to mothers who smoked.
In accordance to the JADA (Journal of the American Dental Association) article, "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention" regards caries as the most prominent chronic ailment in children aging 6 to 11 years old, including teens aging from 12 to 19 years old.
Now rise the question, how does secondhand smoke affect the risk for dental caries? The explaination lies in a commentary on the study, issued in JADA (Journal of the American Dental Association):
According to the commentary on the study proposed, the effect that secondhand smoke gives to oral microbiota is the key why. First, it affects the mineralization of a progressing dentition, it also raises the level of environmental cadmium, declines the level of vitamin C, immune function declines as well, affects the development and function of the salivary glands resulting in decreased production of saliva, and lastly, it causes congestion in the nasal passages, resulting in increased mouth breathing.
Unfortunately, the data gathered from all these studies were still not enough to prove a direct connection between secondhand smoke and caries. Inspite of that, this fact still aims to challenge dentist on finding out the main link between human behaviors and the development of cavities.
Now, smoking is already well known as an agent causing heightened risk of several oral health problems on certain smokers, which includes elevated tooth plaque and tartar, bone loss, slow healing, tooth discoloration, gum ailments, and oral cancer as well.
And, if you will think that smoking is fine, well, no, and that's certainly not a very good choice. Not only your harming yourself, but others as well, most especially children. The most wisest decision would be to stop smoking, and consult your Sydney dentist about your dental health.
