Chicago Family Dentist

There have been numerous studies published to encourage people to quit smoking based on the health reasons. Here, the cosmetic issues alone come into play. Really, if a person wants to have beautiful, white teeth that are 100% real and don’t require weekly trips to the dentist for whitening, a person should never start smoking, let alone continue the practice.


Within a few short weeks of a person starting to smoke, there will be a noticeable change in the color of a person’s teeth. The nicotine and tar in cigarettes can stain the teeth within a few short weeks causing the teeth to look much more yellow than ever before. Individuals who have been smoking for years can have teeth that are closer to brown than white. Typically, this is not a desired look. Whitening procedures can help but nothing is guaranteed to get a person’s teeth back to their pre-smoking color.


Another huge problem, which is more smell-based cosmetics, is the bad breath that goes with smoking. Halitosis, the technical name for bad breath, cannot be fixed by brushing one’s teeth or using mouthwash. Any individual that gets near a person’s face will know that he or she is a smoker based on the smell.


Smoking also allows more plaque and bacteria to build up in the mouth. This can cause gum disease and tooth loss, leaving a person with a gap-toothed smile. The bacteria and plaque are allowed to build up because smoking reduces a person’s circulation.

Contact a Chicago Cosmetic Dentist

If your smoking habit, which you have now quit, has caused your teeth to be yellowed and make you look older than you actually are, contact the Chicago cosmetic dentists of Advanced Family Dental Associates at 773-767-1554 to discuss your options for rejuvenation.