Like cigarettes, regularly using smokeless tobacco products can ruin your oral health, say dentists in Encinitas and Del Mar. And this is not merely the assertion of a few select Californian dental practitioners; a study published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) revealed the same. According to the 2018 study, which examined the oral health consequences of smokeless tobacco, individuals who routinely use smokeless tobacco products are at a high risk of developing oral cancer. And those who are lucky enough to sidestep the disease often encounter other oral health problems instead.
Carlsbad Dentists Explain Why Smokeless Tobacco Products Are as Bad for Your Oral Health as Cigarettes
For years, anti-smoking advertisements have flooded broadcast television networks and social media platforms equally, and they have done an excellent job in getting people to quit smoking cigarettes. They have even convinced many to forgo picking up the habit in the first place. But not much has been said about smokeless tobacco, also known as dip, snuff, snus, or chew, and how regularly using these products can also give way to multiple oral health problems. Along with staining teeth and increasing the risk of developing various forms of oral cancer, regular use of smokeless tobacco products can cause the following, according to nearly all Carlsbad dentists:
- Bleeding gums
- Erythroplakia, leukoplakia, and erythroleukoplakia
- Halitosis
- Receding gums
In addition to these oral health problems, the high concentration of sugar in most smokeless tobacco products can increase the risk of tooth decay. However, the absolute havoc these same products can wreak on one’s oral health does not end there. Multiple dentists in Del Mar and Encinitas, along with Carlsbad dentists and most dentists in California, say the overwhelming majority of smokeless tobacco products currently on the market contain sand and grit, which can wear down teeth. When this happens, teeth become extremely sensitive and prone to erosion.
Dentists in Encinitas and Dentists in Del Mar Explain How Smokeless Tobacco Causes Oral Cancer and Destroys the Oral Cavity
Whether you speak with a Carlsbad dentist, a dentist in Del Mar, or a dentist in Encinitas, they all agree smokeless tobacco products cause tartar and plaque buildup if left untreated. They further agree that the longer these substances can contribute to periodontal disease if they remain on one’s teeth for too long. According to the NIH and dentists in Encinitas, along with Carlsbad dentists and dentists in Del Mar, periodontal disease increases the risk of oral cancer and other oral health problems by triggering the following occurrences inside of the oral cavity:
- Exposure of the tooth root surface
- Periodontal pocket formation
- Above-average plaque and calculus accumulation
- Destroying healthy tissue in the oral cavity
- Destroying bones that support teeth
- Gum inflammation and irritation
- Gum infection
Bottom Line
In summation, smokeless tobacco is not a safer alternative to cigarettes. And this is true whether we are talking about your physical or oral health. Bearing that in mind, if you currently use smokeless tobacco products, consider this a clarion call to immediately stop.
