Many people may not realise just how smoking can wreak its havoc on your gums and teeth, so let’s take you through the broader process. The first indicator to you that you are suffering from gum disease may be a recession of the gums that exposes the teeth’s roots, making them susceptible to tooth decay.
The gums can also become looser, worsening the problem due to the formation of pockets below and between your teeth into which food particles can so easily fall. Bacteria can nestle inside these pockets to feed on the decaying food, at which point, localised infections may begin to occur.
If your gums are allowed to continue deteriorating – as smoking can so easily facilitate – you could find yourself suffering from bad breath, mouth sores, cavities and infections. By this stage, plaque – the slimy, whitish film that develops on your teeth as a result of a lack of brushing – may be developing rapidly.
Should plaque be left in the mouth for a sufficiently long time, biofilm – a destructive bacterial coating on the teeth that cannot simply be brushed off – can easily develop, along with the hard, cement-like tartar that plagues the areas between the teeth and around the gums.
Post time: May-27-2023