Hello Elizabethtown family dentistry friends. Today’s topic is ‘The Dangers Of Smokeless Tobacco’.
Cigarette sales at most Elizabethtown stores have decreased in the past decade, but some Elizabethtown tobacco consumers have switched to smokeless products.
There is a common misconception in the Elizabethtown area (especially among teens) that smokeless tobacco is harmless. This is absolutely not true. Regardless of the specific type: spit tobacco, snuff, chew, or pinch, this form of tobacco is as deadly as conventional cigarettes.
At White Family Dental, we encounter serious consequences of smokeless tobacco use because many occur in the mouth. Oral cancer, mouth lesions, gum disease and tooth decay are the most common cosmetic dental problems caused by smokeless tobacco.
Keeping a pinch between your cheek and gum all day is worse than keeping an all-day sucker. The tobacco contains almost as much sugar as the candy but delivers harmful chemicals as an added bonus. The dangers are two-fold: the tobacco erodes the teeth and also causes the gums to pull away from teeth.
Precancerous Mouth Lesion Screening: Mouth Lesions are painful sores that could eventually become cancer. If smokeless tobacco use is stopped, the lesions often disappear within a year for Elizabethtown dental patients.
Oral Cancer: Smokeless tobacco use in Elizabethtown increases the risk for several types of life-threatening cancers including those of the mouth, gums, lips, tongue, and throat.
Oral cancers can be as deadly as lung cancer and usually require surgery. If the Elizabethtown sedation dentistry patient is fortunate and the cancer is successfully removed with surgery, the collateral damage to the face, neck, or jaw is not pretty.
These are the main dental risks of smokeless tobacco. I should also mention two other biggies: addiction and heart disease, though those are topics for another day.
At White Family Dental, we care about your oral health. To schedule an appointment, call 717-367-1336.
If want to quit using smokeless tobacco products, we recommend that you consult your dentist Dr. White at White Family Dental, your primary care doctor, or your pharmacist.
White Family Dental
100 Continental Dr
Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania 17022
http://www.ETownDental.com