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Why Dentists Say No To Smokeless Tobacco

"Dip" ... "Chew" ... "Pinch" ... "Snuff" ... "Dirt" ... "Plug" ... all are different names for smokeless tobacco, a finely ground version of processed tobacco. No matter the name, smokeless tobacco is harmful and puts your health at risk. Chew on these facts (Don't believe it? Talk to dentists):

• About 30,000 new cases of oral cancer will be diagnosed in 1999.*
• More than 8,000 oral cancer patients will die this year.
• Tobacco products cause about 75% of oral cancers affecting the mouth, tongue, lips, throat, and parts of the nose and larynx.
• Nearly 30 cancer-causing substances have been found in smokeless tobacco.
• One can of smokeless tobacco a day delivers as much nicotine as 60 cigarettes!
• You have a 50% greater risk of developing oral cancer with long-term use of smokeless tobacco.
• Cancer Facts and Figures, American Cancer Society, 1999

Smokeless tobacco has been glorified over time by images of "macho" men performing feats of fame and prowess, whether as athletes, rodeo cowboys, or country music stars. In reality, many want to kick the habit, but nicotine is addictive. It's hard for them to quit.

In a survey of major league baseball players, more than a third reported they had mouth sores, white patches, or gum problems. Nearly 60% said they wanted to quit. The nicotine actually decreases performance, causing dizziness and slowed reaction time.

Smokeless tobacco causes problems for your oral health:

• White, leathery patches in your mouth or lips
• Painful sores that may be pre-cancerous or cancerous
• Yellow teeth and permanent tobacco-stained teeth
• Exposed tooth roots from receding gums, likely to become decayed, sensitive, and painful
• Cavities from the sugar added to the tobacco
• Bad breath
• Greater risk for developing oral cancer

Additionally, smokeless tobacco can affect your general health causing:

• Increased blood pressure and heart rate
• A greater risk of heart attack
• Withdrawal symptoms ranging from headaches, moodiness, and problems concentrating when you try to quit
• Cancer that can be fatal

If you use smokeless tobacco, chew all these facts over. Choose to quit. Your health is serious business. Talk to dentists about getting help to quit. Make the right choice -- it's for your body, your health, and maybe even your life.

By Thomas Warner, DDS

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.

Root Caries: A Significant Dental Problem

People are living longer and keeping their natural teeth more than ever before. The advances in tooth retention, the desire to look one's best, and higher expectations about oral health have raised dental awareness among older adults.

With the significant increase in the older portion of society, with even greater increases expected, more older adults will have more teeth that are susceptible to root caries. Root caries may emerge as one of the most significant dental problems among older adults during the next decade. A recent study conducted by the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) showed that over half of older adults have decayed or filled root surfaces. The frequency of root caries is strongly age-dependent and will continue to be a major dental problem among the elderly.

Root caries lesions can be caused by new or primary root caries, caries around existing dental fillings or recurrent caries, and abrasion or erosion of the root surfaces. Root caries progress quickly due to the relatively soft nature of the root surface, as well as the risk factors associated with the incidence of root caries.

Risk factors associated with the high prevalence of root caries among older adults include decrease salivary flow or xerostomia, exposure of root surfaces due to periodontal (gum) disease, chronic medical conditions, radiation treatment for head and neck cancer, physical limitations, and diminished manual dexterity due to stroke, arthritis, or Parkinson's disease, cognitive deficits due to mental illness, depression, Alzheimer's disease or dementia, Sjögren's syndrome (an autoimmune disease), diabetes, poor oral hygiene, multiple medication use, and changes in dietary habits. One or more of these risk factors or life changes, which are more common among older adults, can increase root caries in an individual who has not had dental caries for many years.

Root caries can be a challenge for the dentist to treat depending on the size and the type of root caries lesion, the extent and rate of caries activity for that person, the physical and mental condition of the individual, and where the root caries are located in the mouth. Many root lesions have limited accessibility and visibility, are often more complicated by pre-existing extensive dental work, and are difficult to isolate from oral fluids during the restoration process. Also, many people who have widespread root lesions have limited tolerance for dental treatment because of medical conditions, illness, and mental health problems.

By Denise J. Fedele, DMD, MS