We're here to provide you with encouragement and guidance in your efforts to quit

We are constantly reminded about the negative effects of tobacco - increased risk of lung cancer, high blood pressure and heart disease, but did you know that your dental health is no exception?

Cigarettes stain teeth and cause bad breath, but there is also a much more serious risk! Smoking cigarettes causes heat to build up in your mouth. This heat combines with chemicals in the tobacco to become a serious irritant to the sensitive tissue lining your mouth. The tissue lining may respond by getting thicker. These whitish patches are similar to the calluses you can get on the soles of your feet except that, in the mouth, these areas can be dangerous. Five to ten percent of people with these patches will develop oral cancer.

In other cases tobacco causes reddish patches in the mouth lining. These are hard to detect and lead to mouth cancer in up to half of the people who develop them. If you smoke, be especially careful to examine your mouth for white or red patches and check for unexplainable numbness or soreness and for sores that don't heal withih a couple of weeks. If you notice any of these, call us right away.

We'll do a thorough check for signs of oral cancer every time you come in for a check-up . There are surgical procedures for the treatment of oral cancer but, in the long run, the best solution is to stop smoking. We're here to provide you with the encouragement and guidance in your efforts to quit.