Smoking cigarettes or tobacco is harmful to our health. Most of you already know this. Nevertheless, statistics show that at least one individual in a group of five adults smokes cigarettes or tobacco. It is also known that out of the 65 million people who have cancer, more than half smoke cigarettes. But, can you smoke with braces?

Smoking while wearing braces has more fatal effects than you may think of. Doing so can compromise your oral health, leading to more severe health issues.

At Dr. Brite, our products are tried and tested. We are all about oral healthcare to ensure you have an authentic smile. Our whitening products are plant-based and free from any toxins. Stick around as we talk about whether you can smoke with braces or not.

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What Happens When You Smoke

When you smoke tobacco products, your blood vessels contract in periodontal ligaments, gums, and the bone. Other than vessel contraction, smoking will also result in you developing gum disease and loss of bone. The infections will require treatment by a Periodontist to restore your good oral health.

After your orthodontic treatment, it is good to stop smoking. When you smoke with braces, stains will start developing on the surface of your teeth. The wires and brackets become yellowish, and what appeared to be colorless at one point will start to show up against your teeth's yellow stains. This discoloration will require you to use an appropriatewhitening kit to remove the discoloration.

Effects of Smoking on Your Oral Health

Smoking has several oral health problems, as shown below.

• Gum Disease – Food debris and bacteria are the leading agents which trigger gum disease. The unremoved plaque hardens to form tartar, which compromises the gums. Normal individuals who don't smoke will experience bleeding gums. However, cigarette smokers have no blood supply to the gums; thus, they will not experience bleeding gums. This feature puts them at more risk as they will not be able to establish if they have gum diseases. Fortunately, you can consider Dr. Brite'sgum oral care kit for restoration.
• Mouth - Prolonged smoking can increase the risk of mouth sores/cancer. When you smoke, you weaken cells in your mouth which may expose it to infection-causing agents that lead to cancerous spots. When left unchecked, this infection can result in bad effects. Smoking with braces on makes the situation worse. Smoking with braces on makes the mouth sores difficult to heal. This exposes you to more mouth infections, which would otherwise not happen.
• Bad Breath –When you smoke cigarettes, smoke particles enter your lungs to cause bad breath. The smell will not go away sooner, as it can stay in the lungs for an extended period, which is why smokers always have a bad smell. However, you can remove bad breath by considering theBrite and fresh mint from Dr. Brite.
• Oral Cancer – The leading cause of oral cancer is cigarette smoking. More than half of the people who develop oral cancer are active cigarette smokers. The infection can lead to damage to your mouth on the lower side and the tongue sides. It can also result in problems associated with tooth extraction.
• Cavities – When you smoke cigarettes for a prolonged period, cavities start generating around your gum line. The aftermath effects are weakened teeth prone to infections. Luckily, theAnti-Plaque - Oral Care Kit is effective in fighting cavities. You can consider it.

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How Smoking Affects Orthodontic Treatment

Prolonged Treatment Time

Smoking directly impacts your orthodontic treatment. Nicotine in cigarettes causes stains to develop on your teeth. If you have clear braces, the stains will change color, causing them to show against the stains on your teeth. However, in more severe instances, smoking may cause the braces not to align your teeth as expected.

Increased Risk of Developing Tooth Decay

Saliva removes acids from the out-of-reach areas in your teeth to prevent decay. However, when you smoke with braces, you compromise the saliva's ability to remove these acids. Plaques that develop in your teeth cause bacteria to develop. The bacteria will then reduce the saliva's efficiency to fight tooth decay, causing your teeth to develop decay.

Extra Cleaning

Prolonged smoking results in stains on your teeth and around the braces. This feature will cause a discoloration effect on the enamel surface of your teeth. The discoloration is more visible if you are onorthodontic treatment and have braces on. When you remove the braces, light-colored spots remain on your teeth. You will need to clean and whiten your teeth with an appropriate whitening agent. We recommend Dr. Brite for professional treatments and whitening of discolored teeth.

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Does Quitting Help?

When you're undergoing orthodontic treatments, quitting smoking helps a lot. The effects of cigarette smoking are easily reversible if you quit smoking, especially when undergoing a teeth alignment treatment. This feature will improve your oral hygiene and overall lung function. You need to prepare yourself to quit smoking before starting the orthodontic treatment. You can do so by reducing the number of cigarettes you smoke daily so that you can quit effectively when you start the treatments.

How to Quit

Quitting smoking is not an immediate activity. It is a long process that'll require you to prepare yourself adequately. To start,you can reduce the number of cigarettes you have in a day. For instance, if you used to smoke four cigarettes a day, you can start smoking three, then two, then one, each day. The gradual reduction in the number of cigarettes you have will make it easy for you to go without cigarettes when you start your treatment.

However, if you find this hard to implement, you can use quitting aids. You can consider a smoking gum or patch, which has lower effects than tobacco.