A bright smile and clean bill of dental health go a long way for overall well-being and appearance, so don’t undo your pristine dental hygiene with bad habits like smoking or chewing tobacco (sometimes called ‘dip’, ‘chew’, or ‘snuff’).
Smoking cigarettes and chewing smokeless tobacco (and all forms of tobacco use) are some of the worst things you can do for your teeth, and the damage goes so far beyond the effects on how you look. Many of the chemicals in dip and other tobacco products are absorbed directly into the tongue, throat, and cheek. This can lead to numerous dental issues including cancer of the mouth or throat.
Some people in North Carolina have mistakenly thought that smokeless tobacco is better for your teeth because you aren’t inhaling the smoke. However, dipping can lead to gum disease, tooth decay, gum recession, mouth sores, mouth cancer, and other serious dental issues. Although dental procedures can help remedy some of these problems, they can be extremely costly. The best prevention for these dental health risks is to quit use of all tobacco products. Find out some of the devastating effects of chewing dip and other tobacco use and what, if anything, you can do to reverse them.
