Pediatric Dentistry
Tobacco Use
Tobacco use is one of the leading causes of death in society. Fortunately, it is also among the most preventable. Aside from being a sociably undesirable habit, smoking can result in oral cancer, reduce smelling and tasting abilities, compromise recovery after oral surgery, stain the teeth, and increase the risk of contracting periodontal disease. The American Dental Association (ADA) and all pediatric dentists encourage children, adolescents, and adults to abstain from all forms of tobacco use.
Almost all adult smokers have tried smoking before the age of nineteen. In all likelihood, an individual who abstains from smoking throughout the teenage years will never pick up the habit. Therefore, it is essential that parents strongly discourage preadolescent and adolescent tobacco use.
Is smokeless tobacco less dangerous for teens?
Tobacco use in any form brings the oral region into direct contact with carcinogens (cancer causing agents). These carcinogens and other harmful chemicals cause irreparable damage to the child’s oral health.
Parents and teens often mistakenly evaluate smokeless tobacco as the “safer” option. In fact, smokeless tobacco has been proven to deliver a greater concentration of harmful agents into the body, and to be far more addictive. One snuff of tobacco has approximately the same nicotine content as sixty regular cigarettes. In addition, smokeless tobacco causes leukoplakias in the mouth, which are dangerous pre-cancerous lesions.
