Tobacco Related Problems and Oral Hygiene

It is very well known that the excessive use of tobacco can cause several problems, not only to our lungs and respiratory system but to our oral cavity as well.  Dentists have known the detrimental effects of using tobacco and cigarettes, however not many smokers are aware of the dangers and problems tobacco can cause when it comes to our oral cavity.

When asked about the dental consequences heavy smokers face, most people will reply that the heavy use of cigarettes will cause stains in our teeth however, the problem goes way beyond that as constant smoking can cause several diseases, one of them is known as Necrotizing Ulcerative Gingivitis.

Necrotizing Ulcerative Gingivitis (NUG):

This is the name of a disease which affects a smoker's gum, as you know this particular disease is triggered by the bacterial infections often contracted by heavy smoking, the effects are actually very noticeable because they cause moderate to severe pain.  Some of the symptoms reported by people who suffer from this disease are:

-- Fever

-- A dark or gray film on the gum

-- Bad breath and bad taste in the mouth

-- Swollen gums

-- Swollen glands in the neck

-- This disease can also affect the throat

NUG is one-of-a-kind disease because it develops quite fast, in most cases it is very painful and it attacks the gums in a very noticeable way, some of the normal effects this disease has in a smoker's gum is that they become very sensitive and bleed easily, if the infection becomes severe the gums may appear to be deflated and would no longer be visible.

Luckily for people who suffer off such disease the treatment is relatively fast, it usually takes around two weeks however, if a smoker who suffers off such condition does not receive the necessary treatment in time the consequences could be dire in other words, it can spread to the bones, cheeks, lips and other parts of the jaw.  Necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis is one of the oral diseases which makes the work of a cosmetic dentist much harder which is why before starting a cosmetic procedure that is often recommended for patients to go on a cessation program to help them quit such detrimental habit.