Besides the more well known health issues associated with smoking, smoking also can cause many oral health problems as well. Smoking stains teeth, causes bad breath and diminishes your ability to taste. Smoking stains are areas where plaque and calculus (tartar) can accumulate easily and this increases the likelihood of getting cavities and periodontal (gum and bone) disease. People who smoke have higher rates of, and more severe, periodontal disease.

Smokers also have a much higher incidence of Oral Cancers, a horrible problem that can lead to disfiguring and life altering surgeries—removal of jaws, tongue, noses, eyes, etc.

But the good news is that quitting smoking reverses many of the harmfull affects--

 

Here is a list of benefits of quitting smoking, according to the American Cancer Society and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

Within 20 Minutes
* Blood pressure drops to normal
* Pulse rate drops to normal
* Body temperature of hands and feet increases to normal

Within 8 Hours
* Carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal
* Oxygen level in blood increases to normal

Within 24 Hours
* Chance of heart attack decreases

Within 48 Hours
* Nerve endings start regrowing
* Ability to smell and taste is enhanced

Within 2 Weeks to 3 Months
* Circulation improves
* Walking becomes easier
* Lung function increases up to 30 percent

Within 1 to 9 Months
* Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, shortness of breath decrease
* Cilia regrow in lungs, increasing ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, reduce infection
* Body's overall energy increases

Within 1 Year
* Excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker

Within 5 Years
* Lung cancer death rate for average former smoker (one pack a day) decreases by almost half
* Stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker 5-15 years after quitting
* Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, and esophagus is half that of a smoker's

Within 10 Years
* Lung cancer death rate similar to that of nonsmokers
* Precancerous cells are replaced
* Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decreases

Within 15 Years
* Risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker