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Smoking
A wealth of evidence-based medicine indicates a link between smoking and the development of plaque build-up, gum disease such as gingivitis, and its later stages of adult periodontitis.
Smoking even just a few cigarettes a day gives breath a stale, "ashtray mouth" taste. Along with staining teeth yellow, or even brown, the heat and smoke from cigarettes can dry out and irritate the tongue, gums, and lips. (Dry mouth is often caused by smoking.) Smoking also creates more bacteria in the mouth and can lead to serious infections in individuals who smoke after dental surgeries such as tooth extractions are performed.
If you must smoke, brushing and flossing after every meal is imperative, as is rinsing with antibacterial mouthwash in the evening and first thing in the morning.
Tobacco use -- smoking cigarettes, cigars, or pipes; chewing tobacco; or dipping snuff -- accounts for 80 to 90 percent of oral cancers. Studies have shown that cigar and pipe smokers are as much at risk as cigarette smokers, and that chewing tobacco users are at an even heightened risk of developing oral cancer. For long-time users, the risk zooms exponentially higher, making habitual use of snuff or chewing tobacco a major public health concern.
Chronic alcohol intake also ups the risk of oral cancer, even for people who never smoke. Those who have both tobacco and alcohol habits are at an ultra-high risk for oral cancer. Warning: studies have shown that many people who develop oral cancer have a history of leukoplasia, a white patch found on the gums and mouth lining of smokeless tobacco users and the lower lip of pipe smokers. Leukoplasia is commonly associated with heavy tobacco and alcohol use. Early diagnosis and treatment of leukoplasia is essential as cancer may develop in these white patches.
A red patch, called erythroplakia, usually occurs in people 60 to 70 years old. If you have a red patch in your mouth that is slow to heal, see your dentist as soon as possible. Early diagnosis and treatment is vital, as this could be a warning sign of vitamin deficiency or other illnesses. Cancer could also develop in a patch that is slow to heal.
Quitting tobacco, even after decades of use, can significantly reduce one's risk of oral cancer. Many hospitals and universities have smoking clinics and offer support groups for those who are giving up cigarettes. Check with your local chapter of the American Cancer Society or online to see which kind of programs it offers in your area for those wishing to kick the habit.
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