Are you Ready To Become Smoke Free?
A critical step to better general and oral health!
According to NHS Smoke Free, smoking is the number 1 cause of preventable deaths in England, killing over 75,000 people annually. Out of two people who smoke, one of them will die from their habit.
Scary stuff, isn’t it? But the chances are, if you smoke, you already know the risks, and if you’re reading on, you might just be ready to become smoke free, which is great news.
So, why is Abbey Road Dental talking about this now? Well, the UK is approaching ‘Stoptober’ where those looking to quit their smoking habit attempt to avoid smoking for an entire month. The reason behind trying for a whole month as opposed to a week or, attempting to quit for good, is because the statistics show those who manage to abstain for a whole month are 4 times more likely to quit for good than those who abstain for less time. The team at Abbey Road Dental cares about your whole health of course, but your oral health is so deeply affected by smoking, we really hope we can support your efforts to quit if you feel ready to make that huge and healthy change this year.
The Negative Effects Of Smoking On Your Body
Smoking has a massive effect on your entire body and it is important to understand the potential risks this habit has:
Circulation
When you smoke, the chemicals in cigarettes progressively thicken your blood, increase your blood pressure and narrow your arteries. These changes can increase your risk of a heart attack or stroke.
Heart
Smoking directly increases your risk of having heart disease, vascular diseases, a stroke and issues with the arteries supplying the brain with blood. Your heart is also strained most of the time, and overall, you are more likely to get a blood clot. Over time your arteries are increasingly compromised and you’re twice as likely to have a heart attack as a non smoker.
Stomach
As a smoker you are more likely to get stomach cancer or other issues with the lining of the stomach. Smoking can also cause acid reflux and increase your risk of getting kidney cancer.
Skin
When you smoke, the oxygen getting to your skin is reduced drastically which causes premature ageing and a grey look to the skin. Smoker lines are also inevitable the longer you smoke, in particular lines around the mouth from sucking a cigarette.
Bones
Smoking can make your bones weaker and may exacerbate issues like osteoporosis or other bone density issues.
Brain
Smoking puts you at an increased risk of having a stroke, twice as much as a non smoker.
Lungs
Lungs are one of the worst affected areas of the body when it comes to smoking. The milder effects can be a smokers cough, and smoking related asthma as well as a higher likelihood of catching colds and other infections. Smoking also puts you at a higher risk of painful lung condition emphysema. Lung cancer is another huge risk factor with smoking as is COPD, which is a progressive condition that combines a number of lung diseases.
Reproduction
Smoking is known to affect male fertility because of the negative effect it has on the blood vessels in the penis and on sperm count. It can also be a contributory factor when it comes to testicular cancer. Smoking can also affect female fertility and contribute to the overall cervical cancer risk.
Smoking during pregnancy is known to contribute towards a risk of premature birth and miscarriage.
Why Your NW8 Dentist Cares
We care about your overall health and of course your oral health, which are both affected negatively by smoking. Smoking in fact, can have a catastrophic effect on your oral health.
Smoking causes all kinds of mouth and throat problems such as aesthetic issues with teeth staining, and taste issues as your sense of taste is affected. Smoking is a contributory factor to gum disease and it also causes bad breath because of the stale smoke smell, and because it can dry the mouth out which also contributes to bad breath.
Most importantly, smoking increases your risk of mouth and throat cancers dramatically.
The Benefits Of Quitting
There are so many benefits to quitting smoking, many of which increase as time goes on. You will save a lot of money, potentially hundreds of pounds a month depending on how much you smoke. You will also have brighter, healthier skin, better taste, better overall fitness and breathing, in some instances more confidence and your fertility will improve. You will also see your reduction of heart attack and cancer risks decrease greatly as time goes on. Even your friends and family will benefit as they avoid second-hand smoke of which you can read the effects here.
Are You Ready To Quit?
If you do feel ready to quit smoking, there are lots of things you can do to prepare yourself for this significant change. Top tips for preparing to quit smoking include:
- Setting a date for quitting, which helps you commit to a date for change and to prepare mentally for the challenge
- Letting people know you plan to quit for accountability, but also so that they won’t provide triggers like asking you if you want to pop out for a cigarette
- Planning for the challenges of quitting, getting distractions or support in place for the times you’re craving the most
- Planning to remove temptations from all the places you might store cigarettes, such as the car glove box, or in your drawer at work
- Speaking to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse about quitting
The more prepared you can be, the more likely you are to succeed.
Speak To Abbey Road Dental in St John’s Wood About Quitting Smoking
If you do want to quit smoking, it is a good idea to speak to your pharmacist, your doctor and to look into resources from NHS Smokefree and NHS Stoptober. It is also a great idea to speak to your local dentist about quitting. We have tips and tricks to help you quit smoking, and it might help to speak to us about how smoking affects your oral health. It might also be a good idea to book a cosmetic dentistry treatment such as tooth whitening as a reward for quitting for a set amount of time. Sometimes removing the stains of smoking and getting your pre-smoking white teeth back, can be a really great incentive for keeping off the cigarettes for good!
Please call us on 02076241603 to book an appointment or to register. We are more than happy to help you quit smoking for better overall health and oral health prospects in the short and long term.