Smoking Damages Teeth and Oral Cavity
German Dental Association and the German Cancer Research Center have issued a flyer about the dangers of smoking for oral health
© dkfz.de
Tobacco smoke contains numerous toxins which are detrimental for the gums and teeth. Smoking cessation therefore protects from cancer of the oral cavity and loss of teeth. The German Dental Association (BZÄK) and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have jointly produced a flyer that points out the dangers of smoking for the oral cavity and teeth as well as the benefits of smoking cessation.
“The oral cavity is affected in several ways by the negative effects of smoking,” says Dr. Martina Pötschke-Langer, head of DKFZ’s Division of Cancer Prevention. “Thus, smokers are up to six times more at risk of getting cancer of the oral cavity than non-smokers.”
“They are far more frequently affected by inflammatory conditions of the periodontal apparatus, or periodontal diseases,” explains Dr. Dietmar Oesterreich, vice president of the German Dental Association. “Smokers also have about twice the risk of loss of teeth compared to non-smokers. Halitosis, discoloration of the teeth, lips and tongue, caries, oral mucosal changes, poor wound healing or loss of implants are further typical problems affecting smokers,” says Oesterreich.
The new patient flyer “Rauchen und Mundgesundheit“ (Smoking and oral health) contains a clear and easily comprehensible presentation of the dangers of smoking for dental and oral health and illustrates disease conditions and connections using diagrams. “This provides patients with all the facts they need to take a decision,” says Oesterreich. “The dentist will be pleased to assist patients in tobacco cessation. With the right assistance, smoking cessation is not all that difficult.”
The patient flyer (in German) is available online on the websites of BZÄK and DKFZ:
www.bzaek.de/fileadmin/PDFs/presse/rauchen_mundgesundheit_faltblatt.pdf or
www.dkfz.de/de/rauchertelefon/download/Faltblatt_Rauchen_und_Mundgesundheit.pdf
More information
For dentists, BZÄK and DKFZ additionally offer a comprehensive brochure (in German) entitled “Rauchen und Mundgesundheit“ (Smoking and oral health). Please order by telephone at 030-40005122 or download from www.bzaek.de/fileadmin/PDFs/presse/band13dkfz.pdf
With more than 3,000 employees, the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) is Germany’s largest biomedical research institute. DKFZ scientists identify cancer risk factors, investigate how cancer progresses and develop new cancer prevention strategies. They are also developing new methods to diagnose tumors more precisely and treat cancer patients more successfully. The DKFZ's Cancer Information Service (KID) provides patients, interested citizens and experts with individual answers to questions relating to cancer.
To transfer promising approaches from cancer research to the clinic and thus improve the prognosis of cancer patients, the DKFZ cooperates with excellent research institutions and university hospitals throughout Germany:
The DKFZ is 90 percent financed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and 10 percent by the state of Baden-Württemberg. The DKFZ is a member of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers.
