See Your Dentist if You Use Tobacco

If you use any type of tobacco product, it is imperative to consistently visit Dr. Clark at least twice a year. Tobacco products can increase problems such as bad breath, and they can be a source of oral cancer. 

The American Dental Association shares this information about tobacco use: 

• Use of tobacco is one of the leading causes of preventable illness in the U.S.; smoking accounts for approximately 20% of deaths.  
• When tobacco is smoked, nicotine rapidly reaches peak levels in the bloodstream and enters the brain; if the smoke is not directly inhaled into the lungs, nicotine is absorbed through mucous membranes and reaches peak blood levels and the brain more slowly.
• Although cigarettes are the most commonly used form of tobacco, other recreational tobacco formulations include conventional smokeless tobacco; compressed dissolvable tobacco; cigars; tobacco pipes and water pipes (i.e., hookahs); and electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes).