Smokeless Is Not Harmless For Palm Harbor Tobacco Chewers

Categories: Dental Health

Smokeless Is Not Harmless For Palm Harbor Tobacco ChewersHello, Palm Harbor dental friends. Today’s topic is ‘The Dangers Of Smokeless Tobacco’.

Cigarette sales at most stores have decreased in the past decade, but some tobacco consumers have switched to smokeless products.

There is a common misconception (especially among teens) that smokeless tobacco is harmless. This is absolutely not true. Regardless of the specific type: spit tobacco, snuff, chew, or pinch, this form of tobacco is as deadly as traditional cigarettes.

At Prestige Dentistry, we encounter serious consequences of smokeless tobacco use because many occur in the mouth. Oral cancer, mouth lesions, gum disease and tooth decay are the most common dental problems caused by smokeless tobacco.

Keeping a pinch between your cheek and gum all day is worse than keeping an all-day sucker tucked in there. The tobacco contains almost as much sugar as the candy but delivers harmful chemicals as an added bonus. The dangers are two-fold: the tobacco erodes the teeth and also causes the gums to pull away from teeth.

Precancerous Mouth Lesion Screening in Florida: Mouth lesions are painful sores that could eventually become cancer. If smokeless tobacco use is stopped, the lesions typically disappear within a year for Florida dental patients.

Oral Cancer in Palm Harbor: Smokeless tobacco use increases the risk for several types of life-threatening cancers including those of the mouth, gums, lips, tongue, and throat.

Oral cancers can be as deadly as lung cancer and usually require surgery. If the  patient is fortunate and the cancer is successfully removed with surgery, the collateral damage to the face, neck, or jaw is not pretty.

These are the main dental risks of smokeless tobacco. Moreover, I should also mention two other biggies: addiction and heart disease, though those are topics for another day.

At Prestige Dentistry in Palm Harbor, we perform oral cancer screenings and mouth lesions examinations. To receive more specifics, or schedule an appointment, call 727-789-1980.

If want to quit using smokeless tobacco products, we recommend that you communicate with Dr. Dentistry at Prestige Dentistry, your primary care doctor, or your pharmacist.

 

Contact Prestige Dentistry: 727-789-1980

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

4140 Woodlands Pkwy Ste A
Palm Harbor, Florida
34685