Smoking with Your New Dentures: What You Need to Consider
Of course, any medical professional will tell you that you should give up smoking. And yet if you are a smoker who has just received their first set of dentures, you probably want to know how to keep them looking (and feeling) their best. Your dentist will be able to give you a few pointers, but there are some other things you might not have considered.
Tooth Extraction
If damaged teeth were extracted prior to having your dentures fitted, it's vital that you adhere to your dentist's advice with regards to smoking. There can be a change in acidity in your mouth when you smoke, and this can affect the healing process. It's also possible that the sucking motion when smoking can destabilize any clotted wounds, drawing out the time it will take for them to heal. Nicotine patches can be advisable during this time.
Dry Mouth
Have you ever been affected by xerostomia? This is the clinical term for dry mouth, and it's when your mouth doesn't produce as much saliva as it should. Smoking can aggravate xerostomia, and this can be cause for concern when you receive new dentures. Be mindful of any irritation that appears when you begin wearing your dentures on a regular basis as this can indicate the there is insufficient lubrication being provided by the level of saliva in your mouth. The addition of tobacco smoke can cause further irritation still. Your dentist might need to reline your dentures for a better fit, or they might refer you to your doctor to further investigate the cause of your xerostomia. To avoid aggravation from the cigarette smoke, you might wish to utilise nicotine patches or gum until such time as the matter is under control. Or you might wish to use this as an opportunity to quit smoking!
Nicotine Staining and Dentures
Much like natural teeth, the prosthetic teeth housed inside the denture plates can become discoloured by a number of substances. This can include coffee, tea, red wine, and of course, nicotine. Some types of dentures are more porous than others, and it depends on what they're made from. Porcelain dentures might be more susceptible to nicotine staining than those made from an acrylic resin. You want to get into the habit of offsetting this staining before it happens. Invest in a specialist whitening denture solution. This essentially means that your denture tablets should have a whitening effect, much like you can buy whitening toothpaste. This will help to minimise the effect that the nicotine has on your dentures.
If you are going to smoke when you receive new dentures, it's important to know what to expect.
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