The American Dental Association (ADA) and all dentists encourage everyone to abstain from all forms of tobacco use.
Almost all adult smokers have tried smoking before the age of nineteen. In all likelihood, an individual who abstains from smoking throughout the teenage years will never pick up the habit. Therefore, it is essential that parents strongly discourage pre-adolescent and adolescent tobacco use.
Tobacco use in any form brings the oral region into direct contact with carcinogens (cancer causing agents). These carcinogens and other harmful chemicals cause irreparable damage to the child’s oral health.
People often mistakenly evaluate smokeless tobacco as the “safer” option. In fact, smokeless tobacco has been proven to deliver a greater concentration of harmful agents into the body, and to be far more addictive. One snuff of tobacco has approximately the same nicotine content as sixty regular cigarettes. In addition, smokeless tobacco causes leukoplakias in the mouth, which are dangerous precancerous lesions.
Oral cancer can be difficult to detect without the aid of the dentist. In some cases, oral cancer is not noticeable or even painful until its later stages. Tobacco users must be aware of the following symptoms:
Oral cancer is treatable if caught early. Disfiguring surgery can be avoided by abstaining from tobacco use and getting regular preventative dental check ups.
Quitting smoking can be difficult! Here are some tips for smoking cessation:
If you have questions or concerns about your tobacco use, please contact your dentist. If you have any questions or concerns about how smoking can affect your dental health, please contact First Class Dental located in Palmdale, California at (661) 383-2888.