Deciding to get dentures means our Fort Worth, TX patients can experience a better quality of life. Improved appearance, increased confidence, and clearer speech are just a few benefits dentures offer to patients who have experienced significant tooth loss.
At Texas Implant & Dental Center of Amarillo, we can fabricate your set of custom dentures. However, cigarette use can negatively affect the fit, function, and appearance of your dentures.
In this blog post, we discuss why it is a good idea to quit smoking if you wear dentures.
Painful, Sore Gums
Smoking or quitting smoking after you have received denture treatment could lead to a poor fit.
While smoking, patients’ gums typically become more hardened, as a protection against the inhaled smoke. In addition, the gums can shrink and become recessed due to smoking, which can cause problems with the fit of your dentures.
When patients quit smoking, the dentures’ plastic can irritate the sensitive gum tissues and cause additional bleeding or discomfort.
In addition, once a patient ends a long smoking habit, the gum tissues often go through a regenerative process to restore the softer outer gum layer. Once the gums have healed, the dentures will likely need to be re-fit to the new shape of the patient’s alveolar ridge.
Longer Recovery Time
Nicotine, an addictive substance found in cigarettes, constricts the blood vessels in your mouth and body which means the blood supply to your gums is limited.
Restricted blood flow means that the healing time for gingivitis or other periodontal infections takes longer and increases the smokers’ risk of developing advanced periodontal disease.
Keeping your gums healthy and infection-free is even more important when wearing dentures.
Increased Risk of Bone Density Loss
Our team recommends that dentures always be removed and cleaned at the end of the day before going to bed. This gives your gums a break from contact with the oral appliance and helps clean off any food debris or bacteria from the outer surface of the dentures.
In addition, wearing dentures all day and night can increase the rate of bone tissue loss in the jaw, which is, unfortunately, an expected occurrence after tooth loss.
Smoking, however, is also known to increase the rate of bone tissue loss in the jaw. This means that smoking while wearing dentures after tooth loss means you will experience bone density loss in your jaw more quickly compared to non-smoking patients.
Staining of the Oral Appliance
Similar to natural teeth, artificial teeth and the plastic base of dentures can become discolored with prolonged exposure to nicotine, the addictive and staining substance found in cigarettes.
Once staining occurs, it can be difficult to remove and replacement dentures may be needed sooner.
Contact Texas Implant & Dental Center of Amarillo Today
If you desire a more youthful appearance, a better quality of life, and a secure bite, call us at (817) 877-4755 or (817) 336-2121 or contact our practice online to schedule a consultation with Drs. Damon, Blankenship, or Secola.
If you are a smoker and want more resources on ending your smoking habit, visit yesquit.org, an online resource for Texans who desire a smoke-free lifestyle, operated by the Texas Department of Health and Human Services.