Smoking - Gum Disease and Tooth Loss

By: Steve S Scott

Tobacco contains a variety of toxins and chemicals that are damaging to our overall well being. They can impair the body’s immune system and hamper it from fighting off infections and diseases. Gum disease is just one of the health problems that smoking can cause or aggravate and it has been reported that smokers are around five times more likely to suffer from the condition than non smokers.

Smoking can cause the blood vessels that supply the gums to narrow and this in turn will diminish the supply of vital nutrients and oxygen to the tissue. If this condition persists for any length of time then the bone that holds the teeth firmly in place will gradually deteriorate leading to loose teeth and ultimately, tooth loss.

As a former smoker of some twenty years myself I have experienced this first hand. On one particular visit to the dentist my gums had begun to recede and I was told that if they were in the same condition and I didn’t smoke then my gums would be bleeding constantly. I also received a frank and lengthy lecture on the risks of mouth and throat cancer into the bargain.

This is just one of the many reasons to make that all-important decision quit smoking or at least give it a try. It’s not a nice experience to have your once winning smile turn into something quite the opposite. Who wants those receding gums that produce long and crooked teeth? Not only are they unattractive to look at but they can affect a person’s self-confidence. How many people do you know who refuse to smile for a photograph because of the state of their teeth?





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