help: Gum Disease

[SSJTWIZTA]

i was told earlier today by my dentists that if i dont quit smoking, i will loose my teeth.

i love to smoke, its not just the nicotine that has me hooked.

the question i want to ask is this:

is gum disease reversable? if i stop smoking and take care of my teeth enough will i be able to pick up the habit once again?

i know, i know. smoking is bad. but if you lived where i do you would understand why i love it so much. i really have nothing better to do than to waste time by smoking and playing music.

some insight on this would be very much appreciated.

[niftydrifty]

I don't smoke, but I have struggled with gum disease. Once you start having problems with your teeth, no it doesn't "go away." I'd listen to your dentist. It ain't worth it to be able to smoke. There are other benefits as well. Your teeth are probably taking it better than your lungs.

[snowy]

I've had several bouts of gingivitis (haven't had one for a while, yay, but God I'm tired of flossing all the time), and I can tell you that once you give gum disease the chance to come back, it comes back. Doing whatever it takes to improve it and to keep it at bay is what must be done all the time if you do not wish for it to get worse to the point of tooth loss. Therefore, I'd say if you keep smoking, you will eventually lose your teeth. If you take a break, improve, and start smoking again, you will just start a vicious cycle that will eventually end in tooth loss, just perhaps at a later date.

[cookmo]

You can get deep dental gum cleaning that saves the bones in your teeth, but I've heard it really hurts....and being a smoker gives you like a 7x higher risk factor for periodontal disease.

I dunno, maybe you could play music and spit sunflower seeds? :P

[Aladdin Sane]

I had surgery a few years back after having problems with my gums. It wasn't pleasant, but I've not had any problems with my gums since the surgery. I take care of my gums and you best do the same-- unless you don't mind losing some chompers.

[ratbastid]

Originally Posted by cookmo

You can get deep dental gum cleaning that saves the bones in your teeth, but I've heard it really hurts....

It's called "planing and root scaling". It's not really painful at the time because of the Novocain they give you. Hurts like a motherfucker later in the day, though.

Basically they take a device similar to a dental drill, but with a spinning head rather than a drill bit, and slip it deep (could be 10 or 12mm) between the gum and tooth, cleaning off scaly deposits of plaque from the tooth. It's a long, gruelling, bloody affair. And it's a temporary measure. I had mine, and then put in place a heightened regiment of dental hygene and haven't had to have another. If you continue to abuse your teeth and gums, even regular root planings won't make up for the damage being done. Battling gum disease is like trying to climb up a "down" escalator.

Listen, here's the other side of it. My uncle is a truck driver, and truck drivers are notorious for having dental problems. They spend days on the road without brushing their teeth, it turns out, and they're home infrequently and don't find time to visit the dentist. Turns out this is one of the hazards of long-haul driving. A couple years ago my uncle had all his teeth pulled, and has dentures now, and he's never been happier. He's in no pain anymore, he doesn't have to do anything special to take care of them, and his dental life is easy. So, if you're game for that, then I say go for it.

[AgadorSpartacus]

Originally Posted by SSJTWIZTA

i was told earlier today by my dentists that if i dont quit smoking, i will loose my teeth.

i love to smoke, its not just the nicotine that has me hooked.

the question i want to ask is this:

is gum disease reversable? if i stop smoking and take care of my teeth enough will i be able to pick up the habit once again?

i know, i know. smoking is bad. but if you lived where i do you would understand why i love it so much. i really have nothing better to do than to waste time by smoking and playing music.

some insight on this would be very much appreciated.

Here's my perspective as a dental hygienist: Gum disese is not curable. It is manageable, much like diabetes. The only true cause is bacterial plaque. That said, there are many factors that go into how our gums handle said plaque. There are factors that we can't control, such as genetics or diseases that affect our immune systems and being physically impaired from having proper oral hygiene. Then there are factors that we can control, such as proper oral hygiene (with the exception previously stated), seeking routine dental care, proper nutrition, and the biggest of them all, smoking. These other factors don't cause gum/periodontal disease, they exacerbate it, some more than others.

The likelyhood of you keeping your teeth long term will depend on several things:

1. How advanced is the disease at the present time.

2. How willing are you to undergo reccomended treatment of your gums?

3. Will you follow up with routine maintenance with your dental professional?

4. How meticulous are you/will you be with your oral hygiene?

5. How is your overall health?

6. What is the periodontal situation of your parents and/or siblings?

7. How willing are you to quit smoking?


I know that the last thing a smoker wants to hear is another person telling them why they should quit, but there is so much data (and real life observation on my part) to support the importance of being tobacco free. Not to mention oral cancer as well.

HTH, and GL.

[SSJTWIZTA]

i guess ill be quitting, then.

i used to hardly ever brush, now im a twice a day brusher that flosses. i was sort of hoping that this would prevent it from getting worse while letting me still enjoy my filthy habit.

what a drag.

i have no idea how advanced it is, but im thinking its not too far gone.

Edit: i did a google image search. they arent bad at all, i guess i'm in the beginning stages.

im still very bummed out about the situation, though. oh well, i guess i did it to myself.

thanks for the insight so far.

[thingstodo]

You will eventually - eventually - be happier that you don't smoke. Better yet, you will protect your jawbone. Yep, if the disease goes too far it begins to take out the base your teath are secure into. And cancer isn't too far behind from what I hear.

[dlish]

we did have a resident dentist here. i do recall the 'ask a dentist thread' a while back so maybe you can do a search on that and see what comes up.

[GonadWarrior]

A few revisions might be in order here.

Originally Posted by ratbastid

It's called "planing and root scaling" "scaling and root planing.". It's not really painful at the time because of the Novocain they give you. Hurts like a motherfucker later in the day, though. Most people are a little sore afterward, but many don't even need pain medication.

Basically they take a device similar to a dental drill, but with a spinning head rather than a drill bit the same instruments that remove tartar during a regular cleaning, and slip it deep (could be 10 or 12mm 5 or 6 mm--it's not effective deeper than that without doing surgery) between the gum and tooth, cleaning off scaly deposits of plaque from the tooth. It's a long, gruelling, bloody affair for some people. And it's a temporary measure it is effective for years if you continue to have regularly scheduled cleanings, preferably every three months. I had mine, and then put in place a heightened regiment of dental hygene and haven't had to have another. If you continue to abuse your teeth and gums, even regular root planings won't make up for the damage being done. Battling gum disease is like trying to climb up a "down" escalator.

Listen, here's the other side of it. My uncle is a truck driver, and truck drivers are notorious for having dental problems. They spend days on the road without brushing their teeth, it turns out, and they're home infrequently and don't find time to visit the dentist. Turns out this is one of the hazards of long-haul driving. A couple years ago my uncle had all his teeth pulled, and has dentures now, and he's never been happier. He's in no pain anymore, he doesn't have to do anything special to take care of them, and his dental life is easy. So, if you're game for that, then I say go for it.

Studies show that the best dentures work 10% as well as natural teeth. Makes sense, since they are a piece of plastic that sits on your gums, instead of a hard tooth anchored in bone. Getting your teeth pulled at an early age usually results in enough bone loss over the years to wind up in a situation that eventually requires implants, especially for lower teeth.

You must like smoking an awful lot, considering you're willing to give up your teeth and your lungs for it.