Smokeless Is Not Harmless For Elgin Tobacco Chewers

Smokeless Is Not Harmless For Elgin Tobacco Chewers

Hello Elgin dental friends. Today’s topic is ‘The Dangers Of Smokeless Tobacco’.

There is a common misconception in the Elgin area (especially among teens) that smokeless tobacco is harmless. This is absolutely not true. Regardless of the specific type: spit tobacco, snuff, chew, or pinch, this form of tobacco is as deadly as conventional cigarettes.

Cigarette sales at most Elgin stores have decreased in the past decade, but some tobacco consumers have switched to smokeless products.

At David Rice DDS, we encounter serious consequences of smokeless tobacco use because many occur in the mouth. Oral cancer, mouth lesions, gum disease and tooth decay are the most common dental problems caused by smokeless tobacco. 

Keeping a pinch between your cheek and gum all day is worse than keeping an all-day sucker. The tobacco contains almost as much sugar as the candy but delivers harmful chemicals as an added bonus. The dangers are two-fold: the tobacco erodes the teeth and also causes the gums to pull away from teeth.

Precancerous Mouth Lesion Screening: Mouth Lesions are painful sores that could eventually become cancer. If smokeless tobacco use is stopped, the lesions often disappear within a year for dental patients.

Oral Cancer in Elgin: Smokeless tobacco use increases the risk for several types of life-threatening cancers including those of the mouth, gums, lips, tongue, and throat.

Oral cancers can be as deadly as lung cancer and usually require surgery. If the patient is fortunate and the cancer is successfully removed with surgery, the collateral damage to the face, neck, or jaw is not pretty.

These are the main dental risks of smokeless tobacco. I should also mention two other biggies: addiction and heart disease, though those are topics for another day.

At David Rice DDS in Elgin, we perform oral cancer screenings and mouth lesions examinations. To schedule an appointment, call (512) 258-9130.

Memberships & Associations

Dr. David Rice, DDS, KOIS Center Clinical Instructor membership page The American Academy of Restorative Dentistry membership logo for Dr. Rice, DDS Elgin dentist Dr. David Rice is a member of the American Dental Association Illinois State Dental Society membership badge for Dr. David Rice, DDS

TEXT OUR OFFICE

Text message is limited to 160 characters.

HOW IT WORKS

  1. Enter your Name.
  2. Enter your Cell Phone Number, area code first
  3. Enter your text message in the box.
  4. Click "Send Text"
  5. A copy of this text will be sent to the office and to your cell phone. The office's reply will also be sent to your cell phone where you can continue the text conversation.
Note: Mobile message and data rates from your cell phone carrier may apply.Close ClickToCall Button
NagiosCheckValue - Do not remove please