Myth or True Does smoking *really* lengthen your treatment t

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#1 Post by **eooo** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 10:49 am

Ok here is the question.. does smoking actually slow down your treatment time or is just another one of those myth that people want to think so u can quit smoking???
I know smoking is bad.. and I'm trying really hard to quit

is there any scientific proves to this, if its true?

#2 Post by **sjsarre** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 10:56 am

I'm sorry Eooo but does it really matter if there is scientific proof? After all you say you are trying to give up which I applaud you for as I know its tough..

I doubt that the above would warrant a scientific trial and if it did then I can sure think of lots of other more important issues which require scientific research...

Good luck with the quitting..

#3 Post by **jcdamon3** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 11:01 am

Well if you believe WebMD is a reliable source:

http://www.webmd.com/content/article/108/108911.htm

or Perio.org

http://www.perio.org/consumer/smoking.htm

Yeah, I don't think you need proof.

#4 Post by **thisismethen** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 12:25 pm

I smoke about a pack a week and my ortho doesn't even know and everytime I see him, he says my movement is great! And I keep good oral hygene and my clear ligs are just fine!

#5 Post by **Joual** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 6:46 pm

I don't think smoking affects treatment. None of the orthos I saw for consults asked me if I smoke.

#6 Post by **Lisa65** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 9:50 pm

I know you're not supposed to smoke after extractions, dental implants or jaw surgery as that can delay healing, which I guess figures. If you have some kind of wound in your mouth it's not going to be helped by continually filling it with toxic smoke.

But having said that, I am a 20 a day smoker and my ortho said on my first visit that my teeth were exceptionally clean and that my mouth was in excellent health. he didn't ask if i was a smoker but I expect he could tell, but he certainly made no mention of it being detrimental for orthodontic treatment in particular.

#7 Post by **Gennel** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 5:34 am

I've never heard that smoking will harm orthodontic treatment in anyway. What I do know is that a bigger percentage of smokers get recurring "plaque" buildup more than nonsmokers. Again it's not all smokers. IT really depends on the amount of something in the saliva..forgot right now what it's called! My friend is a smoker and goes to get cleanings 2 times a year. Everytime it requires a "rooth scaling" to be done because the plaque buildup is sooo deep. She can't eat for days after this and swears that she will quit because her family has this problem and many have lost their teeth. Still,after a week she's back to smoking! I know it's very ,very difficult for some to quit so I understand.

Gennel

#8 Post by **Ready2go43** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 11:33 am

I have seen 4 orthos in the last year for consultations,only on questionaire has it mentioned 'do you smoke?'it has never been mentioned by the orthos themselves,so when I saw the ortho who is going to treat me I asked her about it,and she said that the only concern is the staining,but if you clean properly it is not an issue anyway.
Lets be fair guys,they have to blame smoking for everything these days,all these so called experts forget about all the crap they add to our food,fumes from buses etc,I am fed up with people telling us what we can eat,smoke and drink,we only get one chance at life,so let us do what we want,sorry for going on a bit,but I am sick of all these do-gooders who try to rule the world,If you want a cigerette have one,I will come and have one with you

#9 Post by **jcdamon3** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 12:43 pm

yes, go ahead and smoke, just please don't pollute our air and our environment. Thanks.

#10 Post by **xtrememkovr** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 3:52 pm

I'm in California - and we have much more to worry about than the cigarette smoke polluting our environment. (she says as she looks out into the smog filled air caused by mass transportation and forest fires).

People who smoke need to be much more consistent about their oral hygiene - because they are much more likely to develop periodontal (spell check on aisle 4, please!) disease...and THAT is proven. I haven't heard a THING about smoking increasing brace time - and if smoking DID in fact mean braces would have to be on longer - then any and all DR's would inform their patients before bracing them up.

I am not condoning cigarette smoking in the least, here, but I think it's unfair to wander off the topic at hand and start blaming smokers for the environmental issues and world peace for crying out loud. *hmph*

X.

#11 Post by **jcdamon3** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 10:01 am

When I walk outside of my building at work and there are three or four smokers out there I get a damn lungfull of that crap. In fact I get about 4 lungfulls of it and there IS NO WAY I can avoid it.

I ask you if that is fair? Is it polluting the environment? It pollutes mine!

And I don't really think that an ortho is going to tell you your treatment is going to take longer because what would it accomplish?

My ortho didn't tell me that because I am older my treatment would take longer, he just told me how long it would take.

#12 Post by **xtrememkovr** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 11:58 am

Again, the comment has nothing to do with the poster and his/her concerns. That was my point. It seemed as though you took the time to voice your frustrations (and very valid ones at that) at a person who has really nothing to do with your issues with working with a bunch of people who can not designate a proper smoking area that doesn't interfere tremendously with other non smokers health/well being. NOT what was discussed here at all - and what I felt in my opinion to be a shot out of no where.

I checked with my DR though (going back to the topic at hand) and he told me that it is a myth. He stated that he would make sure to ask me about any of my habits that would delay or increase my treatment. In fact, when I sat down and had a consultation with him he made me sign a disclosure stating I would not do things that would lengthen my treatment and had a list of things that would indeed LENGTHEN my treatment. (break brackets, not adhering to elastics/head gear, etc.) If treatment lasts longer than they state it will - I will not be penalized monetarily for it. If I do things that are in my contract that WILL increase my treatment time, I am financially responsible. There was nothing on the form about smoking, but again - just to be safe - I asked.

Hope that clears it up for the O.P.

Kari

#13 Post by **jcdamon3** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 12:09 pm

Lets be fair guys,they have to blame smoking for everything these days,all these so called experts forget about all the crap they add to our food,fumes from buses etc,I am fed up with people telling us what we can eat,smoke and drink,we only get one chance at life,so let us do what we want,sorry for going on a bit,but I am sick of all these do-gooders who try to rule the world,If you want a cigerette have one,I will come and have one with you Smile

This is the comment that I am referring too.

Just so the smokers know-- they annoy us nonsmokers just as much as the nonsmokers annoy them - that's all.

And all I am saying is - yeah, do what you want but you DO affect other people, just so you know.

And I am sure that my company is following all the current laws with respect to smokers and how far away from the building they have to be. Maybe the laws just need to change AGAIN. Especially since I am in California, who by the way was one of the first, if not the first states to BAN smokers from public buildings.

Sometimes I can smell the smoke coming in through the ventilation system. It makes me sick (literally not figuratively)

#14 Post by **Lisa65** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 12:36 pm

Just so the smokers know-- they annoy us nonsmokers just as much as the nonsmokers annoy them - that's all.

Yes, we know.

Lots of things that people do annoy me too, but as long as they are breaking the law, there's not a lot I can do about it. Plus I don't feel I have the right to pass judgement about something just because I happen to dislike it personally.

#15 Post by **rsprouse** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 6:44 pm

I'm hoping that ortho's wouldn't enter into this subject, unless they felt it was damaging their clients mouth/tongue/gums/lips/throat etc during their ortho treatment. I know when I was a 20+ a day smoker ... I knew it wasn't healthy, I knew it was damaging many of my organs, but if someone started to tell me why I shouldn't smoke ... I immediately desired one and lit up. When I gave up, it was something I did totally by myself with no one other than me making that decison.

I'm not an Orthodontist, but from the Dentist point of view they have every right to mention the harm of smoking. As your healthcare provider they are in charge of your oral health and well being for the duration of treatment. Smoking does nothing good for your oral health and will in no way help your treatment to succeed. But as a healthcare provider you have to advise your patient and educate them about possible side effects of any habit. Besides, most patients don't listen. Who out there has brushed and flossed as much as their Dentist would like?

My reasoning why an Ortho can/should speak up. If an ortho told you that the pacifier or sippy cup you are giving your child every day will likely cause your child to have a smaller palatal vault or will delay development or cause tooth decay, would you want to know? Of course you would want to know because you want the best for your child. Why is it any different that your ortho tell you that smoking increases your risk of oral cancer significantly, or dries your mouth, or stains your teeth, or burns your gums, or .....you get the point. The truth is most ortho's won't say anything because it often doesn't effect their treatment in a meaningful way other than a slight delay in their treatment. Just because they don't say anything doesn't mean it isn't bad or isn't their place, most just don't feel comfortable since it will likely annoy the patient and potentially negatively affect the relationship.

Just my $0.02...

Regards,
Rory

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Myth or True Does smoking really lengthen your treatment t

Myth or True Does smoking really lengthen your treatment t

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