Each year millions of Americans who use tobacco products attempt to quit. Yet the success rate still remains challenging and dissatisfying for medical and oral healthcare professionals. In this regard, Dr. Kevin Caldwell offers these points to consider to help motivate you to quit.
Tobacco use often causes pervasive bad breath. Many tobacco users will attempt to mask the odor with lozenges and hard candies. This has the unfortunate side effect of introducing extra sugar to your mouth, which in turn promotes gum disease and tooth decay.
Tobacco use also irritates tissues in the mouth and gums. This prolongs your recovery time after many dental procedures and increases your chances of infection.
As you might imagine, tobacco use also greatly increases your chances of developing oral or pharyngeal cancer. A variety of research studies have linked tobacco use to as many as eight well-known forms of cancer.
Many medical insurance programs now include some form of tobacco cessation benefit. So, it’s well worth the time to talk to your primary physician to work out the cessation plan that will work best for you.
If you use tobacco on a regular basis and you’re concerned about its impact on your oral health, you can always call Kevin L. Caldwell, DDS, PC at 417.673.1988 to understand your cessation options. Your dentist in Webb City, Missouri, is happy to help you.