If you’re a smoker, you’ve probably heard that smoking is bad for your health. In fact, you may have already noticed the negative effects it had on your natural teeth. Now that you have dentures, you may believe that your mouth is now safe from smoking’s dangers, but believe it or not, it can be just as harmful for your prosthetics and overall oral health as it was when you had real teeth. Here are four key reasons why smoking with dentures is just as bad as it was with your original smile.
It Slows Healing
If you’ve recently had your teeth extracted for dentures, smoking can hamper your healing process. It not only thins the blood, but it can also increase your risk of painful complications like dry socket and infection.
It Increases Your Risk of Implant Failure
If you are planning to get dental implants in the future, smoking won’t do you any favors. In fact, while most patients have a 95 percent chance of implant success, smokers have anywhere between a 6.5 and 20 percent chance of implant failure!
It Causes Stains
Much like your natural teeth, smoking can cause stains on your dentures, crowns, and even dental implants, especially if your dentures are made of acrylic. While there are ways you can deep clean them to remove some of this discoloration, they are not always successful and could require complete replacement if you want to get them truly white.
It Dries Out Your Mouth
Smoking dries out your mouth. That lack of saliva can cause cavities in real teeth, and while thankfully that’s not an issue with dentures, it can still cause its share of damage. For starters, it can make the dentures themselves dry out, irritating your gums and causing sores. It can also eventually lead to cracks or warping in the base of the prosthetics themselves, so they may need a reline or complete replacement way before they would if you didn’t smoke.
Remember, the dangers of smoking don’t simply go away when you get dentures, so quitting is still one of the best things you can do for your health, whether your teeth are real or prosthetic. If you have any questions or concerns about your oral health or the effects of smoking, please contact your dentists for further information.
About Dr. Gizachew
Dr. Admasu Gizachew (Dr. G) takes the time to get to know his patients. He believes that this is the key to not just learning about who they are, but it also helps him to better understand their lifestyle and their oral health goals. This in turn makes it easier for them to care for their teeth and gums at home, ensuring that they stay healthy for as long as possible.
To schedule an appointment for dentures or dental implants at Nu Dental Barnegat please visit our website or call us today at 609-879-0036.