Smoking can negatively impact your overall health, including that of your teeth and gums. Learn more here.
It's hard to ignore the facts about the effects of smoking on your health. Warning labels and public service announcements caution us 
about the devastation tobacco products can wreak on our bodies. However, smoking is an addiction, and a hard one to break at that. Dr. Kamran Nikseresht ("Dr. Nik") and Dr. Cliff Chen, your Chantilly, Virginia dentists, advocate quitting smoking for the following dental reasons:
Poor dental appearance
Among many other chemicals, cigarettes contain nicotine, which produces a yellow stain. This discoloration, combined with the bad odor associated with cigarettes, gives smokers a disadvantage when it comes to making a good first impression.
Tissue damage
Your teeth require your gums and jawbone to keep them stable. However, the use of cigarettes produces a twofold increase in the risk for gum disease, making smokers much more susceptible to painful infections, irreversible tissue recession and the deterioration of the bones that hold the teeth in place. And because smoking weakens the immune system, normal treatments performed by your Chantilly dentist for gum disease are often found to be less effective for smokers.
Cancer risk
Besides putting you at risk for lung cancer, smoking also increases the chances of developing cancers in the mouth and throat. Both Dr. Nik and Dr. Chen perform thorough oral cancer screenings during their Chantilly dental patients' checkups; however, smokers are less likely to visit their dentists for routine cleanings, so the presence of oral cancer or its precancerous warning signs may be overlooked until it has advanced.
If you'd like to talk to your Chantilly dentist for an evaluation of your oral health, contact Nik Family & Cosmetic Dentistry in Chantilly, Virginia for an appointment. We'd be happy to help you achieve your goal of becoming smoke-free!