Link Between Smoking and Root Canals

Smoking and Root canal

The list of why people need to quit smoking seems to be endless. And now, there’s another reason why you should quit smoking. A study from the Goldman School of Dental Medicine in Boston University just found that smoking causes significant increase in a person’s need for a root canal treatment.

A smoker’s gender comes to play with this fact as well. Boston University author Elizabeth Krall Kaye reported that men are more prone to cavities, oral cancer, gum disease and bone loss if they smoke. They are said to be more vulnerable to dental problems as compared to women. This means that men who smoke have more chances of going through a root canal procedure than that of women who smoke.

But this finding does not mean that women are off the hook. Kaye also stated that the number might even out if women smoke as men too. It is said that men smoke a lot more and a lot longer than women and if this number gets to be even, there is a great chance that women are as vulnerable as the men for root canals.

However, there is still no definite answer as to why smoking makes people more susceptible to oral problems. This might be due to the fact that smoking can affect a person’s overall health and immune system. Smoking has been shown to increase the chances of people to be more prone to infections and increases inflammation. It also affects the blood circulation. To reduce your chances of needing a root canal, is to stop smoking cigarettes. Studies have shown that if a person doesn’t smoke for nine years or so, it will reduce the risk of needing root canal treatments as if you were a non-smoker.

Talk to either your physician or dentist in regards to your options of how to stop smoking. Click here for tips on how you can stop smoking.

By: Ladan Zinati