Quitting Smoking And Protecting Your Oral Health

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, more than 70 percent of smokers want to quit.

However, the extreme symptoms of withdrawal can make it seem like a never ending cycle. If you plan to quit, don’t be demotivated; there is a good chance you can do it the first time around.

Here is some information on how you can quit and pave the way to better dental health.

Plan It Out

To ensure that you quit successfully, you need a well laid out plan. Pen down your strategy and emphasize focus on quitting. Here is how a good plan might look like:

· Set up an appointment with your dentist for a dental cleaning session. The feeling of fresh looking teeth works as a deterrent against the will to smoke.

· Get rid of all things that remind you of smoking. Throw out all cigarettes, lighters, ashtrays and keep a pack of gum. Chewing gum or munching on snacks often keeps you busy enough to forget about smoking.

· Consider why you are quitting. It could be to save money or if you are starting a family. Any dental problems like gingivitis are also perfect reasons to quit.

· Identify all smoking triggers and lay out strategies on how you plan to avoid them. The symptoms of withdrawal require a lifestyle change to quit.

· If you have any friends who are interested in quitting smoking, work with them.

Think About All The Dental Issues

The number one point on any smoker’s list of reasons to quit is dental health. Smoking raises a number of health concerns including:

· Stained teeth

· Bad breath

· Gum disease

· Oral cancer (smoking is one of the primary reasons behind oral cancer)

In addition to all these problems, starting a family as a smoker could put you at a heightened risk of facing birth defects in children. At the same time, a few years into smoking and you will start noticing that your injuries take longer to heal and you are more prone to infections. Low immunity levels could also make the perfect conditions for oral diseases.

It is an established fact that smokers who quit extend their life by as much as 7 years. Need help smoking? Start with a comprehensive dental examination and cleaning at your Rockville dentist, Advanced Dental Center today.