All forms of tobacco use are dangerous for your oral health. This includes smoking cigarettes, chewing tobacco, snus packets, and cigars. Quitting these bad habits is very important and you should not let them control your life. They put your health in danger and can lead to numerous health problems including cancer of the mouth or lungs, gingivitis, heart attack, and other serious complications and diseases. You can also save a lot of money by quitting these habits.

Nicotine and the other toxins found in these products can lead to several health defects such as oral cancer, lung cancer, periodontal disease (which is a leading cause of tooth sensitivity and tooth loss), and a slower healing process after tooth extractions or oral surgery. Being a tobacco user can also make you a poor candidate for certain dental treatments like implants or porcelain veneers. This is because smoking can make your teeth too weak to withstand certain procedures.

Less severe effects of tobacco use include bad breath, stained teeth and tongue, and a loss of taste and/or smell. Smokeless tobacco products have numerous negative effects on your health just as smoking products do. Researchers have found at least 28 cancer-causing chemicals in smokeless tobacco products. Your mouth and lungs aren’t the only areas susceptible to cancer; your voice box, esophagus, colon, and bladder are also at risk because of the toxins that are carried to these parts of your body through your blood.

Quitting is very important for your short term and long term health. The American Dental Association recommends these tips to help quit smoking:

– Set a date to quit and stick to it. Choose a “low stress” time to quit
– Enlist the support of your family, friends and co-workers.
– Ask your dentist or physician about nicotine replacement therapy for use in cessation attempts. Using these medicines can double your chances of quitting for good.
– Remove tobacco and tobacco paraphernalia from your home, office and car.
– Seek tobacco-free environments to curve your temptations.
– Exercise. It may make you feel better about yourself and your decision to quit smoking.
– When you crave a tobacco—exercise the 4 D’s:
**Delay—craving will pass in 5–10 minutes
**Drink water—it will help to wash the toxins from your body
**Do something else—distract yourself by being active.
**Deep breathing—deep inhalations and exhalations are relaxing.
– Anticipate problems and have a realistic plan to deal with challenges.
– Call 1-800-QUITNOW or go to www.smokefree.gov

Many dentists agree that flossing is more important than brushing your teeth. Flossing allows you to reach the parts of your teeth that a regular toothbrush can’t access. It cleans out the bacteria and plaque that can hide and grow in your mouth. The two most important factors of flossing are when you floss and how you floss. The timing and technique of flossing really make a difference in your mouth.

The best time of day to floss is at night before bed. This way you can clean out everything from your teeth that has built up throughout the day. Your teeth will have less bacteria while you sleep and will stay that way until the morning when you brush again. You should floss after every meal but if you only have time to do it once, in the evening before bed is best.

The way you floss also affects the amount of bacteria and plaque on your teeth. If you don’t floss correctly you can injure your gums and cause them to bleed. You should take about 18 inches of floss and wrap it around your index fingers, leaving a 1-2 inch space. With the floss taut, gently guide it in between your teeth in a zigzag motion instead of forcing it in with one move. Move it back and forth across the tooth’s surface and under the gum line. You must do this gently or you can easily harm your gums.

Ideally, you should always floss before you brush your teeth or at least once a day. By only brushing, you are leaving behind 40% of your tooth’s surface allowing bacteria to grow and plaque to build. Plaque build-up leads to gum disease which can be prevented by adequately flossing your teeth every day.

Good dental health isn’t only necessary for our smile and mouth, it’s necessary for our heart and arteries. By taking proper care of your teeth and gums, you can decrease your chances of heart disease.

Brushing and flossing your teeth everyday is a must along with routine dental check-ups every 6 months. By avoiding your toothbrush or dentist, plaque starts to build up on your teeth and into your gums. Your gums become weak and may bleed when you brush your teeth. This can lead to gum disease and gingivitis. The bacteria that builds up in your gums can travel through your bloodstream into other parts of your body, increasing plaque in your arteries and damaging vessels and cells on the way.

Studies have shown that people with coronary artery disease have higher levels of periodontal bacteria in their system. This bacteria contains lipopolysaccharides, illness causing toxins. These toxins can also damage the cells that line the vessels, causing more harm to your body and heart health.

When we have oral infections, a certain protein is released into our bloodstream-C-reactive protein. Harvard researchers have studied the effects C-reactive proteins have on our bodies. They found that this protein is a good predictor of second heart attacks in cardiovascular patients. When the oral infection is treated, the levels of C-reactive protein decrease.

Smoking also increases the chances of oral bacteria entering the bloodstream. Smoking makes blood vessel linings stickier, which makes it easier for bacteria to stick to the vessel walls and build up. Smoking causes numerous health defects and cancers and should always be avoided.

Taking care of your mouth is an essential step in taking care of your body. With proper oral hygiene, your heart and body will benefit greatly. Your chances of heart disease will decrease and you’ll feel great with a beautiful smile, too.

Have you been considering porcelain veneers? It’s hard not to when so many people, including celebrities, are getting them done. If you’re unhappy with your smile or the way your teeth look, porcelain veneers can be your solution. You can finally have that beautiful, luminous smile you’ve always wanted.

Good candidates for porcelain veneers include people with good dental health. If your teeth are slightly crooked, have small spaces in between them, are slightly chipped, stained, have uneven surfaces, or you just want to have that perfect smile, your dentist can transform your teeth with porcelain veneers. They’ll be molded to fit over your healthy teeth to give you a straight and bright smile.

If you have extensive tooth decay, gum disease, gingivitis, major cracks in your teeth, or severe misalignment, porcelain veneers might not be right for you. Veneers must be placed on healthy teeth. If you tend to grind or clench your teeth excessively, this also makes you a poor candidate for porcelain veneers. The extra force can easily chip or break your veneers. If you only grind your teeth at night while you sleep, then a mouth guard must be worn every night.

If you lost a significant amount of tooth structure or have no enamel left on your teeth, there are other options instead of veneers. A veneer won’t strengthen your tooth if it has lost its structure and it can only be successfully bonded over tooth enamel.

If you think you are a good candidate for porcelain veneers and are ready to have the smile you’ve always wanted, talk to one of our cosmetic dentists and make an appointment. You’ll be one step closer to the perfect smile.