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Updated September 01, 2015.

As dentists, we have been advocating quitting any tobacco use for longer than I’ve been alive. Today, I open the California Dental Association journal and I see that our fight against tobacco use continues. We are supporting Save Lives California Campaign to raise the cigarette tax by $2. Other members supporting this campaign are: American Heart Association, the American Lung Association and the American Cancer Society.


Even if you don’t smoke, as a taxpayer, you are still paying for those medical expenses that come with long term tobacco use. It affects all of us. I’m not talking just about smoking. Tobacco comes in many forms: smoking, chewing, vapors and all of it has negative side effects when used over time, and some of them are permanent. I still remember the Bodies exhibition, which was touring United States, where real human, meticulously disected cadavers were on display. One can clearly see the changed appearance and dark color of a smoker’s lungs, which they had on display, comparative to the lungs of a non-smoker.

Let’s look at the reality out there. The FDA states that tobacco use is the leading cause of diseases which can be easily prevented, as well as the leading cause of disability and death, not just in our country, but all over the world. Ninety percent of tobacco users start before the age of 21, and this includes both smoking and chewing during a baseball game.  The new proposed law would ban chewing tobacco in California during baseball practice or a game.

After all, where do the young athletes pick up the chewing tobacco habit, if not from their role models in the same sport?    

When we think tobacco side effects, the first one that comes to mind is lung cancer. But it’s more than that. When our cells are in contact with tobacco for a period of time, it can cause a shift in the DNA expression, resulting in different types of cancer: lung, throat, esophageal and oral cancer. More immediate and more common side effect of tobacco use are those yellow or dark stains on the teeth, but also the gums.

Did you know that smoking or chewing can cause brown pigmentation on the gums?  If you have a gummy smile, this pigmentation will definitely show.  Staining on teeth can easily be removed by whitening, but this kind of gum pigmentation can only be corrected by removing or ablating part of the gum tissue away, either with a laser or with a rotary bur and the underlying unpigmented tissue will take its place. Depending on the size of the pigmentation, the laser gum surgery can cause minimal to moderate discomfort during healing, which typically takes 3-6 weeks, depending on the severity.  If tobacco use continues however, pigmentation can return.  

On the list of side effects of tobacco use are also bad breath and increased risk of teeth falling out from gum disease or periodontal disease. Nicotine cripples the immune system and shrinks peripheral blood vessels, not allowing the immune cells to reach the areas of infection on the surface of the gums or skin. Furthermore, a dysbiosis sets in the oral cavity, with bad bacteria dominating the field and friendly bacteria slowly being diminished. If someone is prone to periodontal disease, then smoking increases the risk of bone loss around the teeth, not just by a little, but by 5-10 fold!

The latest gadget which is exponentially increasing in popularity, is the vaporizer or “vape”. There’s no heat, so the harmful effects of smoking are eliminated, as well as the second hand smoke. This is far less toxic than the original e-cigarette. Unfortunately, the CDC reports that many teenagers who never smoked, started using the vaporizer due to its popularity. This is alarming because instead of helping people quit, it seems to be encouraging the use of tobacco.

So lets join in to eliminate or at least diminish use of tobacco products. Your dentist can help you, and also websites like smokefree.gov, and phone support such as 1-800-QUITNOW, or 1-800-NOBUTTS.