If you are a smoker and don't believe that smoking is having an effect on your teeth, you are wrong!  Smoking stains teeth, promotes bad breath, and causes damage not only to the teeth themselves but to the gums and even the rest of your immune system as well. 

In the mouth, smoking mainly affects the gums and the lining in the mouth.  This deterioration makes the smoker more susceptible to diseases and even oral cancer.  Research has shown that smokers develop 5 times more oral cancers than non-smokers and consistently suffer from some degree of periodontal disease. In addition studies have shown that smoking can cause gum disease, bone loss, and tooth loss.

If you are still not convinced of the damage that smoking can inflict on your oral health, below are even more negative effects that smoking has on your teeth:

    Smoking reduces blood flow to the gums and cuts the supply of vital nutrients. For example, levels of vitamin C can be reduced by as much as half.  Ironically vitamin C is key to maintaining healthy gums.
    Smoking stains teeth, even within just a few years. For most new smokers surface stains can be removed, but the process becomes harder and harder with time as the stains will become deeper set in the enamel of the tooth.  Some stains are permanent and cannot be removed.
    Smokers are 6 times more likely to have periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is a serious matter as the disease not only affects the gums but also the bones in the jaw.  When these supporting bones are weakened the teeth become less stable and therefore move more easily. Periodontal disease can become so painful that removal of teeth is the only way to find relief from the pain.
    Many studies show that smokers tend to have more tooth decay than non-smokers.
    Smoking compromises your saliva flow and function which is important for cleaning the lining of the mouth and teeth and protecting teeth from decay.
    Periodontal disease is not necessarily and unavoidable result of smoking, rather smoking serves as a cover to the presence of the disease allowing it to do damage that is irreparable once it is discovered.
    Smoking actually inhibits the ability of the body to combat periodontal disease.   This is because smoking only magnifies the negative effects of plaque and bacteria formation at the gum line.
    Because smoking reduces sensation in the mouth, the pain otherwise caused by periodontal disease in non-smokers goes unnoticed. Therefore, by the time the disease is diagnosed irreparable damage has usually occurred.
    Nicotine is vaso-constrictive, meaning it constricts blood vessels. This makes the healing process more difficult as blood vessels must be able to supply an infection with anti-bodies and white blood cells.
    Remember that smoking does not only have a negative effect on your teeth but also on the teeth of those that have to share your smoking habit with you.  Children with parents who smoke are more likely to contract the same oral health problems that their smoking parents have.  Not to mention all of the other physical ailments that they will be subjected to later in life.

So keep your teeth and the teeth of those you love healthy by making the choice to quit smoking.  When you do, we will all smile a little brighter.