Today is the American Cancer Society’s “Great American Smokeout!”

Did you know that more than 20 million Americans have died because of smoking since the first Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health was issued in 1964, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Most of those deaths were of adults who smoked, but 2.5 million were of nonsmokers who died because they breathed secondhand smoke—air that was polluted by other people’s cigarette smoke.

You know smoking is bad for your health, so it should be no surprise that cigarettes and chewing tobacco are also harmful to your oral health. For one, tobacco products can cause bad breath, but that’s only the beginning.

Other possible oral health impacts of smoking and all tobacco products include:

stained teeth and tongue

dulled sense of taste and smell

slow healing after a tooth extraction or other surgery

difficulties in correcting cosmetic dental problems

gum disease

oral cancer

Take your first steps to Kick the Habit today with these great steps from the ADA!

http://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/quit-smoking-slideshow?source=facebook&content=6_steps_quit_smoking