If you smoke and have dental work, your dentist may recommend you stop smoking while your mouth is trying to heal. That gives you an indication that smoking is harmful to your dental health and can interfere with healing. Here's a look at the ways smoking cigarettes can harm your teeth and gums.

Smoking Causes Bad Breath And Yellow Teeth

If you're embarrassed by your constant bad breath and stained teeth, that might motivate you to quit smoking. Smoking can give you dry mouth, and that leads to bad breath because you don't have enough saliva to wash bacteria away. The overgrowth of bacteria leads to bad breath and an increased risk of dental infections and cavities.

The tar and nicotine in cigarettes stain your teeth to make your smile unattractive. The stains can be removed with teeth-whitening products, although you may need the more expensive treatments from a dentist to get the best results. However, if you keep smoking, the teeth whitening effects won't last very long.

Smoking Increases Your Risk Of Gum Disease

Smoking is one of the leading contributors to gum disease. Your risk of gum disease increases because of the reduction in saliva that allows tartar to build up on your teeth. Plus, smoking affects the blood flow in your gums, and this makes your gums more susceptible to infections. Smoking makes it easier for you to get gum disease and harder for you to heal from it.

Gum disease causes bleeding and bad breath in the early stages, but when it advances, it can cause tooth loss and deep infections. A serious case of gum disease could even require surgery to heal.

Smoking Can Cause Oral Cancer

There is a strong link between smoking and oral cancer. If you smoke, keep regular appointments with your dentist so you can be screened regularly for signs of oral cancer. Finding cancer early allows you to get treatment early. However, you can slash your risk of getting cancer by stopping smoking.

Your dentist may encourage you to stop smoking when you go for your scheduled checkups. Stopping is important for your oral health and your general health too. If you smoke, continue to see your dentist regularly so you can have teeth cleaning done and have your teeth and gums checked for signs of problems caused by smoking. Filling cavities when they're small is better than waiting until you have an abscess that may be slow to heal due to the side effects of smoking.

For more information, speak with a dentist.