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Tobacco secession is a challenge facing many people today. Often people try to quit many times and for many different reasons. Some are quitting because they have been recently diagnosed with a health condition such as diabetes or heart problems. Others simply want to be healthier and avoid potential health problems such as Lung Caner and COPD. There is always a reason to quit, and BBC News just added one more, dental problems.

Along with the obvious health risks with smoking such as lung cancer and heart disease, this new study shows an increase in oral cancers, diminished ability of taste buds and rejection of certain dental procedures. Smoking can also cause the gums to recede, leaving the roots of the tooth exposed.

People who are missing teeth or have lost a tooth due to an accident rely heavily on dental devices such as dentures and implants to improve their oral health. Implants are a new alternative to dentures of the past. Implants work similar to dentures, as they provide a false tooth to replace a missing one. They are used in people who have lost individual teeth, or to create a bridge and for better support to older dentures. Implants work by functioning as the “root” of the tooth because they are made from titanium and are implanted in the jaw. They are coated with a substance called hydroxyapatite which acts as the same chemical makeup of our own bones making the implants more effective than dentures.

Not everyone is a candidate for implants however. A prime candidate requires good healing and blood flow to insure the gum tissue heals properly without infection or rejection of the implant. Implant rejection happens more commonly in smokers. Smoking as well as other diseases such as diabetes, effect how the body heals and how the blood flows, thus resulting in a likely rejection.

Implants were not the only dental procedure affected by smoking, teeth removals and fillings also showed problems due to smoking. Smoking can make the antibiotics and creams much less effective before and during dental procedures.

According to a study done by the American Dental Association, 32% of smokers needed to have a filling replaced, 10.1% needed a tooth extraction and 22.5% needed a major dental cleaning. Smoking can also be a factor in the loss of jaw bone, gum disease leading to tooth loss, and increased plaque and tartar build up. According to WebMD, 90% of patients with oral cancer use tobacco products and of those 90%, 37% who keep using tobacco products after having one cancerous lesion removed will develop another compared to 6% of those who quit smoking.

Tobacco secession is the only way to combat not only dental problems but other health problems. Quitting is never easy and a challenge every smoker fears, however almost every smoker fears cancer too and quitting won’t kill, but cancer will.

There are many ways available to quit smoking. Some patients choose to try prescription treatments such as Zyban or Wellbutrin which can help curb cravings. Others try over the counter treatments such as the nicotine patch or gum. Other nontraditional treatments include hypnosis, acupuncture and herbal remedies. Those who are interesting in quitting should speak with their dentist of physician to develop a plan and find out what works best for the patient. Since each person is different, each individual plan will be different. Some people use a combination of treatments to quit. It is important to remember quitting is never easy but the health risks are just too high to not quit now.