Smoking, gum disease and tooth loss
From the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention
What is gum disease?
Gum (periodontal) disease is an
infection of the gums and can affect the
bone structure that supports your teeth.
In severe cases, it can make your teeth fall
out. Smoking is an important cause of
severe gum disease in the United States. 1
Gum disease starts with bacteria
(germs) on your teeth that get under
your gums. If the germs stay on your
teeth for too long, layers of plaque
(film) and tartar (hardened plaque)
develop. This buildup leads to early gum
disease, called gingivitis. 2
When gum disease gets worse, your
gums can pull away from your teeth and
form spaces that get infected. This is severe
gum disease, also called periodontitis. The
bone and tissue that hold your teeth in
place can break down and your teeth may
loosen and need to be pulled out. 3
Warning signs and symptoms
of gum disease 2
Red or swollen gums
Tender or bleeding gums
Painful chewing
Loose teeth
Sensitive teeth
Gums that have pulled away from
your teeth
How is smoking related to
gum disease?
Smoking weakens your body’s
infection fighters (your immune system).
This makes it harder to fight off a gum
infection. Once you have gum damage,
smoking also makes it harder for your
gums to heal. 4,5,6
How is gum disease treated?
Regular cleanings at your dentist’s
office and daily brushing and flossing can
help treat early gum disease (gingivitis). 2
More severe gum disease may require: 3
Deep cleaning below the gum line.
Prescription mouth rinse or medicine.
What does this mean for me if I
am a smoker?
Surgery to remove tartar deep under
the gums.
You have twice the risk for gum dis-
ease compared with a nonsmoker. 1
The more cigarettes you smoke, the
greater your risk for gum disease. 5
The longer you smoke, the greater
your risk for gum disease. 5
Treatments for gum disease may not
work as well for people who smoke. 3
Surgery to help heal bone or gums
lost to periodontitis. Your dentist
may use small bits of bone to fill
places where bone has been lost. Or
your dentist may move tissue from
one place in your mouth to cover
exposed tooth roots.
Tobacco use in any form – cigarettes,
pipes and smokeless (spit) tobacco –
raises your risk for gum disease. 7
If you smoke or use spit tobacco,
quitting will help your gums heal after
treatment. 3
How can gum disease be
prevented?
You can help avoid gum disease with
good dental habits. 3
Brush your teeth twice a day.
Floss often to remove plaque.
See a dentist regularly for checkups
and professional cleanings.
Don’t smoke. If you smoke, quit.
References
1. Eke PI, Dye BA, Wei L, et al. Preva-
lence of Periodontitis in Adults in the
United States: 2009 and 2010. Journal
of Dental Research 2012; 91(10):914–
20 [accessed 2014 Jul 18].
2. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. Periodontal Disease [last
updated 2013 Jul 10; accessed 2014
Jul 18].
3. National Institute of Dental and
Craniofacial Research. Periodontal
(Gum) Disease: Causes, Symptoms,
and Treatments [last updated 2012
Aug; accessed 2014 Jul 18].
4. Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention. Highlights: Smoking Among
Adults in the United States: Other
Health Effects [last updated 2004
May 27; accessed 2014 Jul 18].
5. U.S. Depar tment of Health and
Human Services. A Report of the
Surgeon General. The Health Con-
sequences of Smoking. Atlanta: U.S.
Department of Health and Human
Services, Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, National Center for
Chronic Disease Prevention and Health
Promotion, Office on Smoking and
Health, 2004 [accessed 2014 Jul 18].
6. U.S. Depar tment of Health and
Human Services. The Health Con-
sequences of Smoking – 50 Years of
Progress: A Report of the Surgeon
General. Atlanta: U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention,
National Center for Chronic Disease
Prevention and Health Promotion,
Office on Smoking and Health, 2014
[accessed 2014 Jul 18].
7. Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention. Oral Health for Adults [last
updated 2013 Jul 10; accessed 2014
Jul 18].
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SOCIAL
SECURITY
DISABILITY/SSI
Everything You Wanted to Know
A FREE
Workshop
by the
Social Security
Administration
When you’re ready to quit tobacco,
call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669)
or go to www.quitnow.net/oregon/
How do you qualify for Disability and/or SSI
How to apply for benefits
Time to apply for Siletz Tribal Head
Start’s 2016-2017 school year
The appeal process
What you need to know when receiving benefits
How to create and use your mySocialSecurity
account and other online services
***Please create & print out your personal
mySocialSecurity account for this workshop
at ssa.gov/myaccount***
When: Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Time: 10 a.m. – Noon
Speaker : Kimberly Herrmann is a public affairs specialist with the
Social Security Administration (SSA). Having worked as a claims
representative and in the Leadership Management Program, Kimberly has
extensive experience with SSA's many programs and conducts educational
seminars and trainings throughout Oregon.
Location:
Siletz Community
Health Clinic
(Upstairs –
Shell Room)
It’s time to apply for your child to attend the Siletz Tribal Head Start program for
our upcoming 2016-2017 school year.
If your child will be age 3 or 4 as of Sept. 1, 2016, he/she is eligible to enroll in
the Siletz Tribal Head Start program. Call us at 800-922-1399 or 541-444-2532 and
ask for Head Start to request an application.
There are new enrollment requirements that all Head Start programs must meet.
All Head Start programs are now required to conduct either a face-to-face or telephone
interview with all applicants to verify the information on their child’s application. So
when you return your application, we will be calling to verify the information with you.
This new requirement must be met before we can select your child for enrollment
into our program. If we are unable to reach you, we will leave a detailed message asking
you to call us back. Please call us back as soon as possible so we can finish processing
your child’s enrollment application.
This is a mandatory requirement we must meet and we are unable to enroll any child
until we complete this verification process. If you have questions about our program,
call either number above and ask for Head Start.
May 2016
•
Siletz News
•
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