Quit Smoking
Cigarette smoking is one of the most preventable sources of morbidity and premature death worldwide. In the United States, smoking is responsible for approximately one in five deaths. Smoking prevalence has been on the decline in recent years. In 1963, the per capita consumption was 4,354 cigarettes compared to an estimated 1,979 in 2002, a lower level not seen since the 1940s. However, with the steady decline, smoking still costs the economy more than $150 billion in annual health-care costs and lost productivity, including $75.5 billion in excess medical expenditures. These expenditures include dental costs, since smoking increases the disease progression and complicates the treatment of periodontal diseases.
Women between the ages of 20 and 39 who smoke cigarettes have approximately twice the chance of having periodontal disease or becoming edentulous as do nonsmokers. Overall, smoking is probably the single most significant, modifiable risk factor for periodontal diseases. The incidence of periodontitis is 4.9 percent for never smokers, 10.5 percent for former smokers, and 15.6 percent for current smokers. The evidence suggests that more than one-half (8.1 million cases) of the chronic periodontitis cases in the United States are attributable to cigarette smoking. There is an abundance of scientific evidence that smoking has an additive effect on the progression of periodontal disease and is detrimental to healing after periodontal therapy. One study demonstrated that the alveolar bone height was significantly reduced in smokers compared to nonsmokers. Likewise, another study demonstrated that smokers were 2.7 times more likely to have moderate to advanced periodontal disease. Also, smoking has been shown to significantly increase the risk of tooth loss from periodontal disease. The effect appears to be dose-related, with heavy smokers (defined as smoking more than 10 cigarettes per day) exhibiting a significantly greater risk of tooth loss from periodontal disease compared to nonsmokers and lighter smokers.
What is Your Level of Addiction? Take this short quiz to see…click here
What happens when you quit?
After 20 minutes
You stop polluting the air
Your blood pressure and pulse decrease
The temperature of your hands and feet increases
After 8 hours
The carbon monoxide level in your blood returns to normal
Oxygen levels in your blood increase
After 24 hours
Your chance of heart attack decreases
After 48 hours
Nerve endings adjust to the absence of nicotine
Your ability to taste and smell begin to return
After 72 hours
Bronchial tubes relax
After 2 weeks to 3 months
Your circulation improves
Your exercise tolerance improves
After 1-9 months
Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue and shortness of breath decrease
Cilia re-grow, increasing the ability of the lungs to handle mucus, clean the lungs and reduce infection
Your overall energy level increases
After 1 year
Your risk of heart disease decreases to half that of a current smoker
After 5 years
Your risk of stroke is reduced to that of people who have never smoked
After 10 years
Risk of dying from lung cancer drops to almost the same rate as a lifelong NON-smoker
The incidence of other cancers – of the mouth, larynx, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas – decreases
Make the Healthiest Decision of Your Life
QUIT SMOKING
Please ask Drs. Hess, Davis, Defina and Streem how they can help you quit smoking. Here are some links to help you formulate a plan:
SmokeFree.gov developed by the US Department of Health and Human Services
Ohio Tobacco Quit Line developed by the Ohio Department of Health
Tobacco and the Periodontal Patient– Official position of the American Academy of Periodontology
