- Causes of Gum Disease -
Smoking Facts About Gum Infection and the Dental Problem of Periodontal Disease

Search the causes of gum disease you will find that cigarette smoking is consistently among the list of causal factors for gum infection.

The smoking facts show that the oral health effects of smoking cigarettes are quite profound.

Not only are smoking and periodontal gum disease linked, but mouth and throat cancer of all types occur more frequently in smokers than in non smokers.

Periodontal is the term used to refer to the tissue that supports the teeth. This support is not limited to just structural support but also to nutritional support.

Periodontal tissue includes both the gum tissue and the bones. Together they hold the teeth in place and provide the necessary oxygen and nutrition necessary for the living tooth to survive.

One of the health effects of smoking cigarettes is a reduction in blood flow to all the tissues in the mouth. Overtime the tissues become so starved for oxygen and nutrition that the gums and bones age prematurely and infection sets in.

Smoking Facts About the Oral Health Effects of Smoking Cigarettes

• When there are dental problems like gum infection or bone loss, teeth become loose and eventually fall out.


• There are twice as many toothless grins among smokers as there are among non-smokers.


• A dose response relationship exists - a heavy smoker has almost 6 times the risk of periodontal gum disease as a non-smoker.


• smoking reduces the amount and nature of saliva in the mouth - saliva in necessary to bathe the mouth and keep the teeth and gums clean and free from infection.

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