Learning to Manage Your Dental Problems

2 Things Smokers Can Do to Help Protect Their Oral Health

5 April 2016 by Charlotte Beck

If you are a smoker, you probably already know that the practice is not good for your dental health. However, there are things that people who smoke can do to lessen some of the effects of tobacco on their oral health. Here are a few of them:

Chew gum.

By chewing gum, a smoker not only helps rid him or herself of bad breath, he or she can help promote good dental health. Smokers often suffer from dry mouth. This condition is associated with a decline in the production of saliva. When there is too little saliva present to rinse plaque and food particles from the teeth, dental decay can result. In addition to rinsing away debris, saliva helps dilute the decay-causing acid that is in the mouth.

As a smoker chews gum, the secretion of saliva from the salivary glands is encouraged. Proper amounts of saliva help protect the teeth. In addition to encouraging the release of saliva, chewing gum can have additional benefits. For instance, the stickiness of the gum helps pull plaque and food particles from the teeth. Also, gum can have antibacterial properties that help eliminate oral bacteria. Gum that is sweetened with xylitol or has cinnamon flavoring is often antimicrobial.

Rinse your mouth frequently with water throughout the day.

Tap water contains fluoride, which can help strengthen teeth that are regularly exposed to oral acid. Fluoride covers the teeth and draws phosphorus and calcium back to the enamel's surface. As the fluoride combines with the other elements, a new tooth material forms. The new material is even harder than the original tooth material of the smoker.

Frequently rinsing with water also helps refresh the smoker's mouth and deter dry mouth. Additionally, water rinses food particles and plaque from the teeth and dilutes the acid in the same manner as saliva.

Oral acid is frequently the cause of tooth decay. However, to prevent the decay, the smoker not only needs to dilute the acid in the mouth, but he or she also needs to eliminate oral bacteria.

Oral bacteria release acid as they consume food in the mouth. When a smoker rinses with tap water, the fluoride helps control the microbes in the mouth. The compound helps make oral bacteria more sensitive to acid, which helps control the number of bacteria in the mouth.

To learn more ways to protect your oral health as a smoker, schedule a consultation with a dentist in your area, such as Dr. Jon Douglas Lesan, DDS, RpH, PA.

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