Second-Hand Smoke Increases Risk of Periodontitis

It has been known that smoking increases the odds of developing periodontitis (gum disease), but new studies are indicating that exposure to second-hand smoke increases your risks of developing the disease by 62%.

Periodontitis is caused by a buildup of plaque and bacteria in the space between your gums and tooth surfaces. The bacteria thrives in the plaque, and feasts on the bone, gum tissue, and connective tissue of your teeth. Left untreated, it can cause bone loss, infection, and tooth loss. It can also affect other parts of your body, including increased risk of strokes, and body-wide inflammation. Diseases such as diabetes can increase these risks as well.

But if you have a buildup of plaque, all hope is not lost. Your friendly Valencia dentist can help reverse the damage. Through scaling and debridement, they can clean up that plaque lodged below the gum line. They can also remove plaque buildup from the roots of your teeth using special tools and (mostlikely) local anesthetic. They can also repair any previous restorative work that looks like it may be trapping plaque and increasing risks of future damage.

Once the cleaning is done, your friendly Valencia dentist will reevaluate your gums, and most likely schedule you for a follow up visit within 3 months to ensure that no more bacteria is growing. If there is a recurrence, they will take care of it and teach you some proper cleaning techniques.
As always, if you have any questions about
periodontitis and second-hand smoke, feel free to ask your friendly Valencia dentist.

Go Dental - Your favorite Dentist in Valencia.