The price of tobacco has gone through the roof in the past couple of decades. A packet of cigarettes now costs around £9.60, and according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), tariffs on tobacco after Brexit could add another £3 to the price of tobacco.
At Smilecraft, your dentist in Stevenage, we hate what smoking does to your gums and other soft tissues in the mouth. We’d rather you spent your hard-earned cash on something that does not harm your mouth so badly, and cost you even more in dental treatments than you would be spending if you were a non-smoker.
That’s why we offer smoking cessation help here at your dentist in Stevenage. We don’t want you to have to spend an extra £600 a year extra on smoking after Brexit, or any money on something that offers little and takes so much away in terms of health.
Let’s take a look at what smoking does to your mouth:
Tooth discolouration
Smoking leaves yellow/brown tarry deposits on your teeth. Tooth enamel may look solid but it is in fact porous. We can remove some surface stains with a scale and polish, but any staining that gets down into the enamel will need teeth whitening with the dentist in Stevenage to remove it. That costs at least £332.50.
Gum disease
Smoking constricts the blood vessels and the blood carries vital oxygen and nutrients to the tissues and organs in your body. When you smoke, you reduce the supply of these to your gums, which need to be strong, firm and healthy to grip your teeth firmly and stop bacterial plaque from getting underneath to attack the bone and tooth roots. Put simply, smoking increases gum disease and the chances of losing your teeth.
Mouth cancer
Smoking is the main cause of mouth cancer, which kills about 4,000 people a year in the UK.
Dental implants
If you are a smoker, you won’t be able to have dental implants fitted. Firstly, the smoke may have contributed to the loss of bone material vital for holding your teeth in place. Secondly, smoking hinders healing, which means the dental implants won’t integrate with your jawbone.