Hello San Diego dental friends. Today’s topic is ‘The Dangers Of Smokeless Tobacco’.
Cigarette sales at most San Diego stores have decreased in the past decade, but some San Diego tobacco consumers have switched to smokeless products.
There is a common misconception in the San Diego 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.
At Marcos Ortega 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 in California.
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 in California: Mouth Lesions are painful sores that could eventually become cancer. If smokeless tobacco use is stopped, the lesions often disappear within a year for California dental patients.
Oral Cancer in San Diego: Smokeless tobacco use in San Diego 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 California 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 Marcos Ortega DDS in San Diego, we perform oral cancer screening and mouth lesions examinations. To schedule an appointment, call 619-295-4545.
If want to quit using smokeless tobacco products, we recommend that you consult Dr. Ortega at Marcos Ortega DDS, your San Diego primary care doctor, or your San Diego pharmacist to ensure your oral health.
Marcos Ortega DDS https://www.mysandiegosmiles.com
306 Walnut Ave, Ste 25
San Diego, California 92103
Oral cancer screenings