Smoking Can Undue Your Treatment with the Periodontist Long Island

As your gums continue to pull further away from your teeth you decide the time has arrived to head over to your dentist for a check-up. Right away he starts explaining about gum recession and the need for a Periodontist Long Island. Among your follow-up instructions you find a recommendation for a smoking cessation program. But just what does smoking have to do with treating gum recession?

According to a recent study published in the Journal of Periodontology smoking has a lot to do with treating gum recession. In fact the study showed smoking after periodontal corrective surgery could “undue” your treatment within two years, leaving you right back where you started.

The study evaluated 10 smokers and 10 non-smokers over the course of two years after receiving cosmetic treatment to re-cover the tooth roots after recession. The results showed that residual gum recession around the area that received the surgery was higher with smokers when compared to non-smokers.

For smokers it’s nothing new for a dentist to recommend avoiding smoking right after treatment. But to encourage a complete cessation may come as a surprise to many. After all, what does smoking have to do with receded gums?

It’s not the receded gums themselves that are impacted by the smoking. Rather it comes from the body’s impaired ability to fully and efficiently recover from the surgery involved with correcting the exposed tooth root.

When the gums have pulled away from the tooth more of the root is exposed leaving the tooth vulnerable to disease and decay. Whether the recession is caused by bacteria or some other cause the Periodontist begins by treating the source of the recession. This is then followed by a procedure to recover the tooth root to help ensure the health of that tooth.

When it comes to how important smoking is with recovery the study showed that 50% of smokers lost between .5mm to 1mm over the course of 2 to 24 months. For this reason it is crucial to develop a stop smoking program prior to undergoing corrective surgery.

If you’ve noticed that your gums have begun to recede and you’d like a skilled opinion from a Periodontist Long Island contact Dr. Scharf at (631) 661-6633 or visit him on the web at http://drscharf.com. He offers alternative treatments for your periodontal needs including laser therapy.