Hello Staten Island general dentistry friends. Today’s topic is ‘The Dangers Of Smokeless Tobacco’.
Cigarette sales at most Staten Island stores have decreased in the past decade, but some Staten Island tobacco consumers have switched to smokeless products.
There is a common misconception in the Staten Island area (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 conventional cigarettes.
At Staten Island Dental Care, 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. 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: Mouth Lesions are painful sores that could eventually become cancer. If smokeless tobacco use is stopped, the lesions often disappear within a year for Staten Island cosmetic dental patients.
Oral Cancer: Smokeless tobacco use in Staten Island 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 Staten Island 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. I should also mention two other biggies: addiction and heart disease, though those are topics for another day.
At Staten Island Dental Care in Staten Island, we care about your oral health. To schedule an appointment, call 718-761-5757.
If want to quit using smokeless tobacco products, we recommend that you consult Dr. Hecht at Staten Island Dental Care, your primary care doctor, or your Staten Island pharmacist.
Dr. Fred Hecht
Staten Island Dental Care
1520 Richmond Ave
Staten Island, New York 10314
www.afraidofthedentist.com
