Does Smoking Reversely Affect or Slow Down Orthodontic Treatments

We all know smoking is harmful to our health in many different ways. If you are a smoker, your entire body’s health is compromised. As far as oral health, smoking can cause oral cancer, periodontal disease, acceleration of gum disease, bad breath, stained teeth, poor tooth movement (for teeth to move well and reposition during orthodontic treatment, the tissues that attach the teeth to the gums and bone must be healthy); the latter of these conditions are exacerbated by smoking while wearing braces.

By not practicing proper oral hygiene each day while wearing braces, you set yourself up for irritated gums, infection and staining. Smoking will only make things worse. Smoking can discolor the aligners you are using, it can cause yellowing stains on teeth, and habitual smoking may serve to lengthen the amount of time you need to wear braces by causing a constant tug-of-war effect during the process.

Keeping your teeth and gums healthy is a big part of the battle; if your gums are constantly infected, swollen, or sore, it will take longer for the orthodontic treatment to do what it is intended to do—and that is to make your teeth and gums healthier.

According to the American Association of Orthodontists: “If you smoke cigarettes, cigars or pipes, or use smokeless tobacco, you are placing yourself at higher risk for a variety of oral health problems that can reduce or delay the success.” Smoking constricts blood vessels in gums, the bone, and in periodontal ligaments. It also promotes bone loss and gum disease which will need to be treated by a Periodontist. The CDC has stated that 47 percent of adults over the age of 30 have periodontitis. This is something to take into consideration if you are an adult who smokes and you are looking at a couple of years wearing braces.

Good oral health is the key to a healthy mouth and gums. Preventing gum disease involves brushing, flossing, regular cleanings, and routine visits to your dentist and orthodontist while wearing braces. Braces demand more time and care when cleaning and flossing as it is, and habitual smoking can undermine the hard work you put into it each day. If you do not properly brush while wearing braces, this can cause tooth discoloration in itself, but smoking affects braces on an even higher level.

Smokeless tobacco is not an alternative, in case you were wondering. It will have the same negative impact and will also stain ceramic braces, ligatures, and Invisalign braces as with that of cigarettes or pipes. It can also get caught in the brackets of the braces which can further cause yellowing stains on teeth. Vapor or Electronic Cigarettes do not contain tar and tobacco that typically cause tooth discoloration, but most of them do contain nicotine. Because they are relatively new to the market, conclusive studies as to whether they contribute to oral health decline is not available to date, but should be avoided during orthodontic treatments as well to ensure your teeth are properly aligned and that your gums stay healthy.