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You are probably aware that smoking causes cancer, stroke and heart disease, but did you know that it can also cause serious harm to your mouth?  It doesn't matter how you use it--whether you smoke it, dip it, or chew it--tobacco is not good for you.

Smoking traditional tobacco like cigarettes, pipes and cigars can cause serious health issues to your mouth and throat.  Cigarette smoke has over 7,000 chemical and chemical compounds and at least 70 of them are know to cause cancer.  Smoking is linked to gum disease,  heart disease, stroke , lung disease, problems with pregnancies, birth defects, mouth cancer, and throat cancer.

Smokeless tobacco (also called chewing tobacco, spit, dip, snuff or chew) contains more than 3,000 chemicals, including at least 28 cancer-causing ingredients.  You may think that "smokeless" means "harmless," but this is not true.  Any kind of tobacco can harm your health.  Holding an average-sized dip in yo mouth for 30 minutes gives  you as much nicotine as smoking three cigarettes.

Many people are turning to e-cigarettes and vaping machines because they believe they may be safer and healthier choice than traditional tobacco products. There is no current evidence to show that e-cigarettes and vaping devices are any safer than regular tobacco products.

American Dental Association

A new TikTok video that shows viewers how to mix balsamic vinegar with sparkling water to create a purported unique and healthy alternative to soda has some oral health professionals concerned. Research demonstrates this heavy dose of acidity can definitely lead to tooth erosion.

Dimensions of Dental Hygiene

Social media users are recommending an unusual home remedy for treating dental problems.  An August 3 Instagram post reads, "Did you know?  After eating an orange, you can rub the peel on your teeth to clean you tooth's enamel. It whitens teeth, kills bacteria and removes stains."  These Instagrams have garnered more than 3,000 likes.  Though rubbing orange peels on teeth may whiten them, kill bacteria and remove stains, experts say the harms outweigh the benefits. The acidity of the peels erodes tooth enamel and could irreversibly harm teeth.   In one study, Clemson University found that oranges have a pH level between 3.69 and 4.34, which is highly acidic.  Experts say this acidity can damage teeth.  The American Dental Association knows fruit is a great dietary choice but saturating your teeth with fruit acids isn't a great idea.  Prolong exposure to any kind of acid can harm your tooth enamel if you do it repeatedly.  If you're rubbing orange peels on your teeth as seen online, the prolonged contact with you teeth and the acid will wear the tooth enamel away (Dr. Mirissa Price). 

USA Today