Smoking: a risk of losing his teeth 6-7 times higher in smokers

Smokers are at risk of losing their teeth 6-7 times higher than nonsmokers, says Christine Romagna-Genon, Dr. universities in life sciences and health (Auxerre), at the annual conference of the 'French Dental Association, which was held in Paris.

Mouth-teeth: the first victims of tobacco

If the risk of developing cancer, cardiovascular or pulmonary disease associated with smoking are well known and relayed by the campaigns of the government, the effects of smoking on oral teeth and general health are often overlooked.

However, "the mouth is the gateway to the body, the first organ affected by tobacco. Gestures suction and suction smoke harmful components, pollutants and irritants deposits are much harm to the teeth and the mucous membranes "recalls Christine Romagna-Genon in a written statement entitled" Tobacco and oral health: the challenge. "

Tobacco and teeth do not mix!

Beyond tooth staining, bad breath and increases the amount of scale, patients smokers have a higher risk of developing severe periodontal disease as a risk leading to higher 6-7 loss their teeth compared to nonsmokers.

Thus, repeated aggression tar and other components of tobacco smoke causes a defensive reaction of the mucous membranes of the mouth, leading to specific lesions. Bacteria in the mouth are also made more aggressive. The immune response is weakened, resulting in the destruction of healthy tissue during an infection.

Finally, impaired healing mechanism of nicotine in smokers, leads to poorer treatment outcomes.

The bacterium Bacteroides forsythus, present in anxious people, is sometimes also taken from the mouths of smokers, says the researcher. "And if smokers were initially very anxious that ignorant?" She asked.

The dentist is at the forefront in educating the patient to smoking cessation, says Christine Romagna-Genon.