When it comes to talking about oral health, try talking to a dental hygienist. They make a career of investigating mouths and cleaning up what they find. They talk to clients, learn about their habits, and see the effects of certain behaviors on the teeth and gums. The observations of a hygienist may not be based on surveys, spreadsheets, and scientific calculations, but what they tell you about dental health tends to be borne out by the facts.
Is It Just About Marijuana?
After the Journal of the American Dental Association came out with an article linking recreational marijuana use with increased incidents of cavities and tooth loss, one hygienist with decades of experience cleaning teeth and pointing out their problems had this to say: “Two things about marijuana use lead to dental problems. First, heavy marijuana users tend not to care much about their personal health care. As a result, they don’t take very good care of their teeth. Second, marijuana smoke isn’t filtered, so the patients who use it show all the signs of gum irritation and dry mouth that come with inhaling unfiltered smoke. And that leads to cavities and tooth loss.”
When asked if pipe smokers would show similar effects from unfiltered tobacco smoke, she responded: “Oh absolutely! Hardly anyone smokes tobacco with a pipe now, but early in my career when you would still see lifetime pipe smokers, their teeth were in horrible condition. But the worst effects of smoking? I see that in cigar smokers. The volume of smoke they inhale is larger and the lack of a filter again means that they’re exposed to more of the chemicals in the smoke.”
The Scientific Data on Cigar Smoking
To check her assertion on smoking cigars, an investigation of studies at the National Institutes of Health revealed that her anecdotal observations are correct. One report from the Oxford University Press states that while “cigarettes delivered more nicotine per gram of tobacco smoked,” cigars led to more puffs and more puff volume. Both tobacco delivery systems lead to increases in blood nicotine, carbon monoxide, and other toxic substances, but the greater volume of smoke with cigars led to a greater amount of carbon monoxide being inhaled. Therefore, the large amount of inhaled smoke certainly has something to do with the negative effects on oral health that this hygienist observed from cigar smoking.
Smoking Requires Diligence
The best thing to do for your oral health is to avoid smoking anything in any form. Nevertheless, our Yuba City dentists realize that smoking is a personal choice some people make while being aware of the risks. Therefore, our responsibility as healthcare providers is to minimize the risks as much as possible. That means we must encourage all smokers to visit our dental office regularly and to receive dental cleanings at least twice a year, or even more frequently, to monitor and reduce the damaging effects of smoking on the teeth and gums.
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