Does smoking affect my gums?

The nicotine and tar in smoke will cause and accelerate gum disease which may lead to tooth loss, you may get bad breath, and it also increases your risk of developing mouth and throat (and lung) cancers. Smoking reduces the blood and oxygen supply to the gums. Quite often, this will mean that if you smoke, your gums don’t bleed (a first warning sign of gum disease), even though they are very unhealthy. Mouthwashes will help mask bad breath and may have some effect on the progress of gum disease. You should visit us regularly so we can check your mouth for early signs of mouth cancer.