This article explains the detrimental effect smoking has upon the health of your teeth and gums.

There really is very little doubt about the fact that smoking, or any form of tobacco use, is terrible for your health. Dentists in Silver Spring and other health organizations are constantly warning the public against the dangers of this habit. The problem about advertisements against smoking is that it tends to highlight the long-term ramifications of tobacco-use, such as lung cancer and heart disease. As a result, the warning signs tend to be ignored, especially by young smokers who feel as though they have their whole lives to quit.

“I’ll quit smoking before I get old enough to fall sick from it.”

“I’ve only been smoking for a few years. Not enough to kill me yet!”

“I don’t plan on being a lifelong smoker, so I’ll be safe.”

Aside from the fact that these sentiments are completely illogical, smoking has a variety of undesirable effects on the body that manifest themselves in the short term. And in no other area are these effects more visible than in the health of your teeth and gums.

The Effects of Smoking on Your Oral Health

Smoking, by its very nature, is a counter-intuitive addiction for us to develop. It tastes awful, it makes you stink like an ashtray and it dictates your day-to-day behaviors to quite a large extent. Our bodies were not designed to be able to inhale smoke; otherwise we would have evolved with some kind of inbuilt filter! Instead, we suffer through the addiction, hating ourselves when we do smoke and feeling miserable when we don’t.

The psychological effects of smoking aside, this addiction takes a terrible toll on the health of your teeth and gums:

• “Dry Mouth”: Smoking causes xerostomia or “dry mouth,” a condition marked by the slowed production of saliva in the mouth. Saliva is an important natural defense against bacteria, so those who suffer from dry mouth are more susceptible to cavities, tooth decay and gum disease.

• Soft Tissue Inflammation: Smoking burns and irritates the soft tissues in the mouth, causing the gums, tongue, palate and buccal lining (inner cheeks) to become inflamed and sensitive.

• Tooth Discoloration: The nicotine and other chemicals in cigarette smoke seep into the tiny pores in your dental enamel, causing the teeth to become stained and discolored. In the long run, this can have a devastating effect on one’s smile aesthetics.

• Slowed Healing: Tobacco-use causes a squeezing of the blood vessel of the gums which restricts the amount of oxygen rich blood getting to the right place at the right time. This causes damage because this area won’t get enough blood and not having the right blood supply retards the natural healing processes in the mouth. This not only increases a person’s risk of developing oral infection or disease, it also compromises their ability to fight it off and heal properly. Patients requiring dental surgery – especially dental implants – are warned by the dentists in Silver Spring Maryland to cease smoking in the weeks beforehand as it can substantially lower the chance of success.

• Gum Disease and Oral Cancer: Tobacco-use is one of the greatest causes of gum disease and oral cancer. Both are serious conditions that, unless diagnosed early and treated, are potentially fatal.

A Final Note from Dentists in Silver Spring Maryland

It’s not an easy undertaking for anyone, but quitting is the only way you can improve your chances of living a long, healthy and happy life. Find out what it is you need to kick the habit today and DO IT.

This three-part article series takes an in-depth look at root canal therapy: what it is, why it’s necessary and what patients can expect from the procedure.

Welcome to the third and final installment of this three-part article series on root canal or endodontic therapy. So far, our qualified and experienced dentist in Silver Spring Maryland has addressed the following questions…

• What is root canal therapy?
• Why is it necessary?
• What can cause someone to need a root canal?
• What are the signs and symptoms of an inner tooth infection?

In this article, Silver Spring dentists will walk us through a standard root canal procedure, explaining what is involved and whether patients can anticipate any pain and discomfort!

The Root Canal Procedure: Say “Aahhhh”

Root canal therapy is generally performed in-office over the course of one or two appointments. First and foremost, the extent of the infection will be determined using X-ray. The Silver Spring dentist will then anesthetize the gum surrounding the tooth so that you don’t experience any pain or discomfort during the procedure. He or she will then place a small sheet of rubber around the tooth to prevent saliva from moistening the area.

Once the preparation work has been done, the procedure will commence with the drilling of a hole into the top of the tooth. The dentist will use a very fine tool or file to extract all the infected pulp, the decayed nerve tissue, bacteria and associated debris from the tooth chamber and down the entire length of its root/s. The insides of the tooth are thoroughly filed and scrubbed to completely eliminate bacteria and minimize the chance of re-infection. Sodium hypochlorite or even just water will be periodically flushed into the empty tooth to help remove debris and infected tissue.

Once the Silver Spring dentist is satisfied that the tooth is completely clean, he or she will fill it with an inert cement, or “gutta percha”. This rubbery compound flows into the interior of the tooth, filling the roots as well as the pulp chamber and leaving it impervious to external contaminants. The access hole at the top of the tooth crown is then capped with a durable ceramic restoration, such as a dental crown or filling. You may be required to return to the dentist for further restoration, but this will be discussed with you during your appointment.

Does Root Canal Therapy Really Hurt?

If root canal therapy were performed without the aid of anesthesia, it would most definitely hurt, because it is by its very nature an invasive procedure. But, you will be hard pressed to find a dentist in Silver Spring Maryland who would recommend performing such a treatment without anesthesia! By numbing the area around the tooth, the patient won’t need to worry about experiencing any pain or discomfort during the procedure.

So… Is My Tooth Dead or Alive?

Many people think that a root canal leaves them with a “dead” tooth. This simply isn’t the case. The nerves and tissues inside the tooth play an important role during your dentition and jawbone’s formative years. But by adulthood, the tooth can do quite well without them. It is always better to treat a natural tooth than it is to extract it and replace it with a dental bridge or implant. No amount of sophisticated teeth replacement hardware can rival your own biological technology, which is why dentists always recommend root canal therapy prior to extraction.

Moving Forward…

Avoiding the need for root canal therapy means looking after your teeth, although this is not always enough – accidents do happen! Maintain a rigorous home oral hygiene, wear a mouth guard if you play sports and keep regular scheduled appointments with your Silver Spring dentist and you should keep your teeth in excellent lifelong condition!