The effect of tobacco smoking on the state of the oral cavity.
Smoking is the most common bad habit that adversely affects all organs and systems of the body. The oral cavity is primarily associated with temperature exposure and harmful substances of tobacco smoke. And there are more than 4,000 of them, including more than 40 carcinogens!
It is possible to distinguish the aesthetic consequences of smoking and the consequences that cause diseases of the oral cavity.
Aesthetic ones include plaque on the teeth, bad breath, darkening of the tooth enamel, etc.
However, the consequences of smoking, which cause diseases of the oral cavity, are a much more serious problem associated with toxic substances and resins, as well as exposure to high temperatures.
The temperature of tobacco smoke is about 50-60°C, it causes capillary expansion and irritation of the mucous membrane. For example, carbon monoxide blocks hemoglobin, and nicotine causes narrowing of small vessels and capillaries, which leads to a lack of blood supply and oxygen starvation.
In addition, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons cause cell degeneration, mutations, as a result, local immunity and regeneration processes are reduced.
The most common diseases of the oral cavity, the formation of which is associated with smoking, are gingivitis and periodontitis.
Tobacco smoke has a toxic effect on the ligamentous apparatus and causes spasm of peripheral vessels, thereby disrupting the normal trophism of tissues, which causes inflammation. This is the most common cause of tooth loss.
With xerostomia, caries begins to progress completely on all teeth, since the pH balance of the oral cavity is disturbed and an acidic environment is maintained. The disease is characterized by dry mouth and is associated with insufficient salivation due to spasm and blockage of the salivary glands throughout the oral cavity. Xerostomia is usually observed in patients with more than 5 years of smoking experience.
In addition, statistically, lip and oral cancer occurs 2 times more often in smokers than in non-smokers. And those who smoke more than 50 packs a year have a 77.5 times higher risk of developing cancer of the oral mucosa than non-smokers.
It has also been established that cigarette consumption is a reliable factor in the development of AIDS in HIV-infected people. It is known that smoking has an immunosuppressive effect, so the duration of the period between infection and the development of AIDS in smokers is much shorter than in non-smokers.
Dentist-therapist
GAU "Lipetsk City Dental polyclinic No. 1"
Safonov Vladimir Vitalievich.
