Stop-Tober

So it’s Stoptober this month and we are all for our patients joining in and aiding their good oral health, by either cutting down or quitting!

If you would like to seek help with stopping this October copy & paste this link into your web browser

https://stoptober.smokefree.nhs.uk/ & follow the steps on the site to help you stop today!

If your looking for a good reason to quit then look no further I’m going to fill you in…

So most of us are now aware that smoking can cause lots of medical problems and in some cases, fatal diseases however not everyone realises the damage that smoking causes to their mouth, gums & teeth. Smoking leads to tooth staining, gum disease, tooth loss & in severe cases mouth cancer.

There are lots of health reasons as to why you should cut down or stop smoking altogether but a good cosmetic reason to quit is to get your pearly whites gleaming white. The nicotine & tar content in cigarettes causes the staining and can make your teeth turn yellow in a short space of time, people who are heavy smokers often complain their teeth are brown.

The benefits of giving up smoking…

After 1 hour.. Your blood pressure will begin to fall

After 8 hours.. Nicotine & carbon monoxide levels fall & your oxygen levels in your gums return to normal

After 1 day.. Your lungs begin to work better & carbon monoxide is removed from your body

After 2 days.. Your sense of taste & smell improve & the stale odours on your breath disappear

After 2 weeks.. Your withdrawal symptoms ease & energy levels increase

After 3 months.. The risk of gum disease is greatly reduced & smoking related white patches in the mouth disappear

After 6 months.. Your risk of heart disease & cancer begin to fall

Over 1 year.. The health of your mouth is greatly improved & the risk of mouth & throat cancers are reduced further

If you would like a leaflet about smoking & your oral health just ask your dentist at your next check up, we will all be happy to help in your quest to healthier teeth & gums.

If your taking part in Stoptober we would like to wish you lots of good luck, please let us know if you manage to keep it up! 🙂