### How Tobacco Use Affects Oral Health Tobacco use, including smoking and smokeless tobacco, can lead to several oral health problems. Here are some key points: - **Gum Disease**: Smoking affects the attachment of bone and soft tissue to your teeth, making you more susceptible to infections like periodontal disease. It also impairs blood flow to the gums, affecting wound healing. - **Tooth Loss**: Studies show that smokers, including those who use cigars and pipes, experience tooth loss and alveolar bone loss at rates similar to cigarette smokers. - **Oral Cancer**: Both smoking and smokeless tobacco products contain chemicals that increase the risk of oral cancer and cancer of the throat and esophagus. - **Tooth Decay**: Smokeless tobacco can irritate gum tissue, causing it to recede and expose tooth roots, increasing the risk of tooth decay. Added sugars in these products also contribute to decay. - **Other Issues**: Tobacco use can lead to bad breath, stained teeth, and increased sensitivity to hot and cold. Quitting tobacco can significantly reduce these risks. Studies show that former smokers have a similar likelihood of having gum disease as those who never smoked, and mouth lesions often resolve within weeks of quitting smokeless tobacco. Medications, support groups, and alternative treatments like hypnosis and acupuncture can help you quit. Consult your dentist or doctor for more information on quitting tobacco and improving your oral health.