When it comes to smoking and tobacco products, we have always had a sense that they are bad for our teeth, but why? Just what is it that turns these substances into enemies of our pearly whites? We will find out just what makes them harmful for us in this article.

So in order to raise some awareness of the problems that smoking and tobacco products can bring to your teeth, we have talked to our Los Algodones dentists and they offered hindsight about it.

Impact smoking and tobacco have on your teeth 

Smoking and tobacco products are pretty bad when it comes to your teeth, so in order to better understand what we are getting to, we will be listing some of them:

Stains your teeth

Tooth discoloration, also called tooth stains, are caused by a number of factors, but mainly through strong pigments and the level of acidity in food.

So you have an idea of the many things you might want to look out for that can stain your teeth here are a few example:

• Dark liquids, such as wine and coffee.
• Sodas, for their acidic contents.
• Pasta sauces.
• Berries such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.

Such is the same with smoking where the smoke can easily stick and penetrate into our tooth enamel. This gets noticeable worse if we ignore the oral basics of brushing and flossing everyday.

Bad breath and halitosis

Bad breath, as simple as it is, is when our mouth has an unpleasant smell. This can be through many different reasons, as halitosis rarely appears without something else triggering it.

Usually, reasons for bad breath without counting smoking include foods with lots of spices. Foods with onion and garlic are very well-known for giving a pretty distinguishable unpleasant smell for the people around you, so if you are going to an interview or to meet with somebody else, you might want to avoid them entirely.

Other reason for bad breath is having a dental issue, such as tooth decay. For these it is best to visit your dentist and deal with the root of the problem.

Smoking becomes just another factor in which you can get bad breath from. The smoke as well as the smokeless tobacco products leave a undesired smell regardless of the brand.

Gum disease

Gum disease is the general term that can range from the early stages of gingivitis to the more serious ones such as periodontitis.

Smoking is specially dangerous when it comes to oral health because it is heavily linked to gum disease. Engaging in tobacco and cigarettes for a long time affects both the blood vessels in your gums, shrinking them, and affects your gums by making them recede.

Los Algodones dentists recommend letting your dentist know if you are a smoker or not, as gum disease can be really hard to identify when the gums shrink and rarely bleed.

Smokeless tobacco products, safe or not?

This is a common question that we get asked every now and then. The short answer is that they are not any safer

Cigarettes and smokeless tobacco all have the same chemicals that cause cancer. Moreover, the smokeless version also yields even more nicotine. It also makes gum tissue recede just the same, leading to exposed roots and tooth sensitivity.