The Secret To Restoring Smoker’s Teeth
Given up smoking? Looking to whiten tar-stained teeth? Based in Burton?
Gradually, the number of smokers in the UK is coming down. Whilst there are certain groups who may buck this trend, hopefully a combination of education and a realisation of the real risks that it brings, will reverse this.
With more and more people stopping smoking, this means that there are an increasing number of ex smokers who have teeth, and gums, that are in a far from ideal condition. These effects don’t have to be permanent though, and at Mike Allen’s Dental Practice in Burton, we offer a pathway to better oral health and nicer looking teeth for ex smokers.
Your check up
Improving your teeth and gums always starts with a check up so that we can diagnose any problems. This will involve a visual check and, quite possibly, an x-ray to determine if there are any issues beneath the gum line that we can’t see otherwise.
Although relatively rare, we may suggest that you see your GP for a check up if we detect any unusual symptoms such as swellings or red patches of the soft tissues. Primarily, this additional check is to determine if these may be cancerous. Whilst it is more than possible that other factors may be causing this, it is important that you follow our advice. If oral cancer is detected, early treatment is very important.
Cleaner mouth and gums
One very likely effect of smoking is that you may be exhibiting signs of gum disease. This is much more common in smokers than non smokers and it is important that your gum health is restored. Providing that the gum disease is minor, your teeth and gums may be given a scale and polish by our Burton hygienist, along with guidance for better care at home. It is a good idea to have this done on a regular basis to keep your gums healthy. Should the problem be more advanced however, you may also need to have a ‘deep clean’, a more invasive procedure that has to be carried out by a specialist dentist, and not the hygienist.
A whiter smile
Although your scale and polish may remove some of the surface staining on your teeth; if you have smoked for some time, it is highly likely that your teeth will still appear to be very discoloured. In some cases, a straightforward teeth whitening procedure may offer sufficient improvement to the way your teeth look. Smoking though, has a nasty habit of making your teeth very yellow, or even brown. If this is the case, you may wish to consider dental veneers to give you the great looking smile that you are looking for.
We are always happy to see ex smokers at Mike Allen’s Dental Practice and to help them on their way to better oral health. It all starts with a check up and these can be arranged by calling us on 01283 845345.