The adverse effects of smoking on health are today well documented. Cigarette smoking is considered the single most important preventable environmental factor contributing to illness, disability and death. The mouth acts as a primary target for tobacco smoke, as well as being affected by tobacco products in the blood stream.

Smoking affects wound healing and tissue turnover: not surprisingly this means that people who smoke age faster with deterioration of their skin, hair, bones, and gums. Interestingly, by way of example, older people who smoke are three times more likely to fracture their hip as a result of the affect of smoking on bone density.

People who smoke have fewer teeth, more gum problems and more complicated patterns of healing. This is particularly troublesome after surgery. Smoking will reduce the success rate of gum surgery and implant surgery, and will cause failure of implants in the same way that it can cause severe gum problems.

We are always happy to assist our patients with advise on smoking cessation.