What Are The Effects of Smoking & Vaping On Your Teeth?

The Effects of Smoking and Vaping on Oral Hygiene

There is a variety of problems smoking and vaping can cause, and the severity of these differ depending on your particular habit. Vaping can lead to more bacteria in the mouth, which is associated with bad breath, tooth decay and gum disease. It can also cause inflamed gums and dry mouth.

Issues that smokers commonly face include gum disease, mouth cancer, smoker’s keratosis, poor healing after tooth removal or gum surgery, tooth decay and tooth loss, decreased taste, a bad taste in the mouth as well as bad breath. An immediate giveaway that somebody smokes regularly is yellow, stained teeth and a foul odour, which are caused by the exposure of your teeth to tobacco and nicotine.

Gum disease, or periodontal disease, is a very real concern for both smokers and vapers. If left untreated, it can result in the structures that hold your teeth becoming damaged. The teeth can become wobbly and will eventually fall out or have to be removed, which can lead to further issues with chewing food and reduced function.

How to get rid of stains

While it’s a well-known fact that smoking stains your teeth, there’s a common misconception that vaping doesn’t. However, while vaping doesn’t contain tobacco, it does contain nicotine, which can also discolour your teeth.

If you’re concerned about stains and discolouration, you can try some home remedies to help lighten your teeth. These include consuming fruits containing malic acid such as apples and strawberries, which are natural whitening agents. Vegetables such as celery, carrots, and broccoli, as well as dry fruits such as raisins can help increase salivation which can in turn reduce staining. Milk, yoghurt, and cheese can be beneficial in neutralising the pH of saliva, thus helping to remineralise enamel. Adding a small amount of baking soda to your regular toothpaste can also have a whitening effect but be cautious to avoid prolonged use which can affect tooth enamel.

Home remedies can help with some discolouration, but if your problem persists or is particularly severe, that might not be enough. You can go on to try an over-the-counter tooth whitening product but if your problem is particularly bad or you continue to smoke, the results won’t last very long, and you will need to constantly repeat treatments.

Kick the habit today

It is clear that there are dozens of problematic issues related to smoking and vaping and if you want to avoid the very real risk of ending up with stained teeth for life or even losing your teeth altogether, the only way to ensure that is reduced is to kick the habit.

If you think you have gum disease or any of the other oral issues listed above, it is important that you visit a high-quality dentist to receive the correct treatment as quickly as possible. For more guidance on looking after your teeth and oral health, contact us at Burleigh Dental Studio today.

Article by Dr Anthony Hua – Principal Dentist

Dr Anthony Hua is the Founder & Principal Dentist at Burleigh Dental Studio. His passion, expertise and dedication to the field of dentistry have been recognised by his achievement of Fellowship status with the Australian Society of Implant Dentistry (ASID) and the International Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI).