Stoptober & Go Sober for October

So Stoptober is back again this month along with go Sober for October and we would love our patients to join in and by doing this aid their oral health, either cutting down on cigarettes & alcohol or quitting all together!

So a in short, Go Sober for October is a Macmillan Cancer Support campaign which encourages people to raise money by giving up the booze for a month. The money raised will go towards providing support to those suffering from cancer.

Stoptober is aimed to help people give up smoking after abstaining for the 28 day challenge to help improve general and oral health.

So are you ready to take on the 28 day challenge?

If you would like to seek help with stopping this October by giving up smoking or alcohol please copy & paste these links into your web browser

https://stoptober.smokefree.nhs.uk/ – Stoptober

http://gosober.org.uk/ – Go Sober

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

Not a lot of people are aware but Alcohol plays a big part in poor oral health & the development of oral cancer, unfortunately alcohol can cause seven types of cancer you can minimise your chances by cutting down the amount of alcohol you drink.  If you stay within the government guidelines, about one standard drink a day for women or two for men you can greatly reduce your risk.

Dental fact: Alcohol can also erode the outer surface of your teeth, leading to a loss of enamel.

Not everyone who drinks will develop cancer. But on the whole, scientists have found that some cancers are more common in people who drink more alcohol than others so if you would like to improve your general health then please take the sober for October challenge.

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 or Go Sober for October we would like to wish you lots of good luck, please let us know if you manage to keep it up! 🙂