Cigarette Smoking and Your Gums

Every time you smoke a cigarette, some layers of chemicals will remain in your mouth, which will make the environment conducive for germs and bacteria, and can even encourage a population boom for those pesky germs. Also, the mouth becomes anaerobic, which can also lead thicker and stronger layers of plaque, which in time becomes tartar.


This would then lead to gingivitis, which is actually painless and is very easy to ignore. If the cycle of smoking and build-up of tartar continues, gum diseases will follow.


It also does not help that smoking decreases the efficiency of your immune system, yourself more susceptible to diseases. The usage of tobacco, whether it be through cigars or cigarettes or even pipes, increases the chances of you getting gum diseases.


In a nutshell, smoking makes you susceptible to gum diseases in two ways, first due to the tartar buildup as well as making the mouth more conducive to the growth of bacteria culture.


The second reason is due to smoking, lowering the effectiveness of your immune system, which makes you far more likely to get infections and not just gum diseases.


If you think you have problems with your dental health or are wondering if you are a candidate for gum diseases, give us a call and we will schedule a time when we can talk.