NEWS
TEETH
Teeth! You wouldn’t have much of a smile without them. And let’s not underrate the value of that smile!
By Dr Marina Murphy
It helps you present a positive, up-beat image to others; apparently
it also makes you more attractive (assuming you have reasonably
nice teeth) and even makes you and others feel happier! So, it’s
not surprising that hanging on to your teeth and making them look
as good as possible is pretty high up on the grooming agenda for
most people.
Our teeth are always under attack from the various liquids and
particles they come into contact with every day. Everything you
put into your mouth potentially impacts the health and appearance
of your teeth and gums. Too much sugar – not good – because
it rots your teeth! Too much tea, coffee or red wine – not good
either- because they can stain your teeth.
Smoking is also known to have detrimental effects on teeth.
Smokers get ‘stains’, turning teeth from a healthy-looking white
to an unhealthy-looking yellow/brown colour. And although this
staining is commonly referred to as nicotine staining, it is not
caused by nicotine, but by the tar in smoke. That said, smokers
switching to vaping are unlikely to be doing so, solely for their
teeth. But vapers are still rightly concerned over the impact of
vaping on teeth and oral health in general. After all, good oral
health is about more than just teeth.
According to the NHS (UK National Health Service) and other
groups, the state of your teeth affects your overall health, with
gum disease linked to lots of health problems in other parts of the
body. An unhealthy mouth can increase the risk of serious health
problems such as heart disease, stroke and poorly controlled
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diabetes. Taking care of oral health is a worthy goal in and of
itself, therefore, but so too is understanding its importance and its
connection to your overall health.
There hasn’t been a lot of research into the impact of vaping on
teeth and oral health. But we, at British American Tobacco, and
others are looking at the potential positive impact on oral health
of switching cigarette consumers to e-cigarettes. The good news
is that preliminary results suggest that vaping does not stain teeth
like smoke does.
Smoking and those pearly whites!
The health risks of smoking are well-known. Smoking is linked
to lung cancer, as well as heart and respiratory problems. Most
people who smoke are aware of these risks. A lesser known side
effect of smoking that doesn’t get as much attention is the toll it
can take on your teeth. Tobacco smoke can damage teeth and
the mouth in a number of different ways. Some of the substances
in smoke impact the mouth’s ability to fight infection, making it
harder to fight plaque and bacteria. This can cause a build-up
of plaque on teeth, making them susceptible to decay. Particles
in cigarette smoke can also rub against teeth, wearing away the
protective enamel. This not only makes the teeth more vulnerable,
it makes the enamel more transparent so that the darker dentin
underneath can be seen, giving teeth a darker, less attractive
appearance in general. Smokers are also up to six times more
likely to develop gum disease..