Many people are still smoking in spite of the risks to their oral health. Apparently the number of people admitted to hospital due to problems related to smoking reached 1.6 million, and out of this figure 11% of these problems were related to cancer. The numbers of smokers have fallen over the past few years, but it’s still a real problem as smoking is strongly correlated with an increase in the risk of developing mouth cancer. This disease affects 6,500 people in the UK, and each day 18 people are diagnosed with some form of mouth cancer. One of the major problems with mouth cancer is that it is often diagnosed quite late in the day, and mortality rates are just over 50%.
This is one of the reasons why you are urged to visit Parrock Dental and Implant Centre at regular intervals for check-ups as this will enable Dr Rik Trivedi or another dentist at the practice to detect any abnormalities in your mouth. Mouth cancer can affect any part of the soft tissues of the mouth which includes the tongue, the insides of the cheeks, the floor of your mouth and the roof of your mouth, and it can also affect the lips and throat. Regular checks will help ensure this disease is picked up early when treatment can be much more successful.
Smoking and Gum Disease
Reducing your risk of mouth cancer is definitely a compelling reason for giving up smoking, but another good reason is that it will also improve your oral health. Smokers are much more at risk of developing gum disease as the toxins in cigarette smoke affect the way the gum tissues react to infection. This means if you do have periodontal or gum disease then your body is less able to fight off the infection caused by this condition. Periodontal disease is the major reason why teeth are lost, and while they can be replaced with Kent dental implant, smokers will still need to quit before having this treatment. This is because smoking interferes with gum healing, making the chance of implant failure much higher.
If you are a smoker and you know you’re overdue for a check-up then why not pick up the phone to book an appointment right now? You can call us on 01474 537191 or if you prefer you can fill in our enquiry form online to request a call-back. You’ll find this on our website at www.parrockdental.co.uk.